Obituary of Joan Marie Smith

Joan Marie Smith (Peaker), 82, of London, Ontario, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2026.

Born on August 1, 1943, at Victoria Hospital in London, Joan was the beloved daughter of the late Harold and Lillian Peaker. She grew up in Lambeth and attended M.B. McEachern Elementary School before joining the inaugural class of G.A. Wheable Collegiate. She later studied psychology, anthropology, and literature at the University of Western Ontario, nurturing a lifelong love of learning.

Joan built a varied and dedicated career, working at Bell Canada, Forest City Welding, and Praxair. Beyond her work, she embraced a life rich with interests and passions. She loved downhill skiing, curling, murder mysteries, collecting antiques, and caring for her cats. Summers spent in Port Stanley at Harbour Lite—the cottage her father built on the beach—gave her and her family a lifetime of joyful memories filled with sun, sand, and bonfires by the lake.

Joan is remembered as an exceptional woman: warm, loving, modest, funny, and fiercely resilient. She had a remarkable ability to stay positive no matter what life brought her way, and she made friendships that lasted a lifetime.

Her life took an unexpected turn in her 60s when she was diagnosed with breast cancer—the first of four such diagnoses. After her initial treatment, she took up dragon boat racing with the Rowbust BCS Dragon Boat Racing Team and quickly proved she had the heart of a champion. Joan became a nine-time world champion, competing in the Club Crew World Championships in Italy (2014), Australia (2016), and Hungary (2018), and winning gold in the 200m, 500m, and 2000m distances at every tournament. She was also a Canadian champion for nine consecutive years, from 2010 to 2018. She was the competitive team's oldest member and the club champion in the plank, showing everyone that age is only a number.

While Joan’s determination and skill as a paddler earned the deep respect of her teammates, her kindness, humour, and unwavering positivity earned friendships that continued long after injuries forced her to retire from the sport.

Joan is survived by her son, Darin Peaker of Windsor and his wife, Julie; her daughter, Andrea Taylor of London; her cherished granddaughter, Lily; and her beloved twin sister, Gail (Bill). Joan was predeceased by her elder brothers, Ron (Helen) and Bill (Lil), her son-in-law, Jeff Taylor, and her dear friend, Bev Kyle.

Charitable donations in Joan’s memory may be made to Dale Brain Injury Services, the Humane Society London & Middlesex, or Breast Cancer Canada—causes that reflect her compassion and care for others.

The family would like to thank the many medical professionals whose compassion and skill helped Joan through her many health challenges. Thank you to Dr. Julie Clarke, her family physician, the staff at Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre, the Parkwood Institute, and the Dale Brain Injury Centre. We would also like to thank her many dedicated PSWs, and the doctors and nurses in the Palliative Care ward at Victoria Hospital.

Details regarding services will be shared with family and friends once arrangements are complete.

Joan’s loss is keenly felt, and she will be lovingly remembered by all who knew her.