Joan Hackshaw

With great sadness, we announce the passing of Joan Hackshaw at the age of 91. Joan was born and grew up in the Village of Swansea, an enclave of Toronto known for scenic views along the Humber River and the Stelco steel factory, where her father, Alex, worked as a manager. Her mother, Gertrude, was busy raising Joan and her four siblings, Alex, Bill, Evelyn, and Ethel (Bews). Growing up during the depression, Joan played in High Park, skated on Grenadier Pond, and learned to be resourceful. She showed early creative talent, tailoring beautiful clothes despite not owning a sewing machine.

Joan worked at shops on Bloor Street, where she fostered her creativity and went to business school in the evening to sharpen her entrepreneurial skills. She and her sisters “put their pay cheques on their backs,” sewing the latest fashions of the day to wear to dances and to work in the city.

Joan settled in Etobicoke, ON in the 60s with husband George and daughter, Susan (both predeceased). She focused her talents on creating original crafts and selling them out of the front room of their house. From there, she took her talents on the road, setting up booths at craft fairs around the province, where she built a network of crafters and waved off copycats.

Her creative magic finally found a permanent home at The Whimsical Touch, her shop in Bloor West Village. There, from the late 70s through the 90s, she welcomed a loyal following of regulars, working with local suppliers to fill her space with antiques, quilts, and original crafts. Treasures and glorious scents regularly overflowed out onto the sidewalk, enticing shoppers into a beautiful haven where Joan held court, always ready with a story and a laugh. She mentored her sister, Ethel, in running a similar shop near Ottawa, and the two spent many happy years supporting and inspiring each other.

Joan loved family gatherings at the cottage on Lake Simcoe, where they swam, played tennis and Rummoli, and she and her sisters could be heard laughing all the way down the lake. A loving mother to Susan, she also embraced her many nieces, nephews, and grandchildren, making them dolls, teaching them to disco dance, and reminding them to tuck in (or put on) their shirts. She never arrived for a visit empty-handed.

High rents forced Joan to close her beloved store. In her retirement, Joan continued to craft but also loved a good mystery novel and (most days) the Blue Jays. She was an avid walker and a dedicated volunteer with Friends of the Greenhouse in Centennial Park. She was resourceful until the end, living independently and through the difficult isolation of the pandemic. Despite her own challenges and losses, Joan always found and encouraged others to find magic in the ordinary. She found joy in a "bee-YOU-tee-ful" fabric or garden and offered enticing treats, exclaiming, “Try it! Isn’t that good!?!” Her Christmas baking was legendary.

Joan will be sorely missed by her many friends. She was a loving grandmother to Brianne (Conall), Patrick (predeceased), and Michael (Erin), great grandmother to Rowan and mother-in-law to Luigi. Joan passed away in hospital after being admitted for injuries from a fall. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Joan's name to either the Daily Bread Food Bank or to the YWCA of Toronto.