Obituary Overview
Joyce Poopapathy Aryaratnam
On January 12, 2018, Joyce Aryaratnam passed away into everlasting peace at age 93 at the QE II hospital, her daughter, Premila, by her side. Daughter of Ananthapillai (mother) and Kanthaiah Paul (father), Joyce was born and grew up with three sisters and two brothers in beautiful Sri Lanka. As a child, the sandy beaches and emerald hills of her native country gave Joyce an appreciation of the magic of nature. This served as inspiration for her art as well giving her hope and resilience throughout her life. As a registered nurse she specialized and practiced community midwifery in her country of origin. She first immigrated to England in 1969 to continue her profession and then to Canada in 1974, where she worked at the VG hospital in Halifax. She was a loving mother, sister, aunt, and grandaunt. Joyce was loved by all who knew her for her gentle yet free spirit and her kind heart. She was a person of great faith who put her belief into practice every day of her life. After her career as a nurse ended, she continued on to use her skills and talents in various other venues, including eldercare, childcare and volunteering with the Red Cross. At the age of 81 she discovered her true passion as a prolific folk artist in her own right. She was first discovered by Greg Hayes of Hayes Gallery, and appeared on CBS’s “Mainstreet” and Radio Canada International’s “The Link”. She loved playing her violin and listening to music. In her winter years, she cofounded Azusa Apostolic Church and served as one of the cornerstone members until her passing.
She is survived by her daughter, Premila Ariyaratnam, and sisters Lilly Jesudason, Felicia Raganiyagam and Chrishanthi (Gnana) Thevathason. She leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews and their families whom she loved dearly. The family wishes to thank all who cared for Joyce in her advanced years – family physician, Dr. Mary O’Neill, Continuing Care NS, Northwood Homecare, family and friends, as well as staff at Abbey Lane geriatric care, especially Dr. Leah Nemiroff, for her compassion and kindness to Joyce and the whole family on the last day of Joyce’s life.
Funeral will take place today, Monday January 15th at 1:30 pm in Atlantic Funeral Home, 771 Main Street, Dartmouth, with a reception to follow. Burial in Dartmouth Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the International Red Cross or to Azusa Apostolic church at mailing address Azusa Church, 198 Harlington Crescent , Halifax, B3M 3N1 or any charity of choice .
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Joyce Poopapathy Aryaratnam 2018.source
Décès pour la Ville: Dartmouth, Province: Nova Scotia
