November 4, 1916 to June 15, 2010
Joanna Bagwell was born in Ohio. By the age of eight she had moved to Madrid, Spain, with her family, where her father worked for International Telephone and Telegraph. Because she attended a French lycée in Madrid, she was fluent in English, French, and Spanish throughout her life. She returned to the United States to attend Smith College, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Her studies included a year at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1939 she married Joseph Starke. They lived for nearly 40 years in Pound Ridge, New York, where they raised their son Larry and daughter Linda. Joanna worked in various publishing ventures in New York during this time. She was very active in the peace movement for many years.
In 1987 they moved to Vancouver to be near their son and his family. After Joe’s passing in 1993, Joanna lived at Crofton Manor in Vancouver. Along with Larry and his wife, Roberta, she moved to Salt Spring Island in 2002 and resided at the Extended Care Unit at Lady Minto Hospital until her death. She is survived by Larry and Roberta Starke, Linda Starke of Washington, DC, grandchildren Tom (Laure-Elaine), Justine Cara, and Sean, and great-granddaughter Lilah Sage.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude for the kindness, compassion, and excellent care provided by every staff member of the Extended Care Unit at Lady Minto. They helped Joanna and the family so much in the last years of her life.