Joan Christie Barlow

Joan Christie Barron Barlow passed away on June 4, 2021 from pancreatic cancer. She was born in Los Angeles, California on July 5, 1939, but grew up most of her life in La Canada, California, with her parents, Merle and Maude Barron and her siblings Jimmy, Judy, Bruce, Paul and Susan. She was the oldest sibling in her family and often told stories of her idyllic childhood riding her horse Powder, playing in the sun, excelling in school work, winning Best Hair in 9th grade, being a flag-twirler at John Muir High School in Pasadena, and enjoying LDS Church activities and meetings. During her senior year of high school she met Jim Barlow from Santa Monica. They dated until Jim left for his LDS mission to Hawaii, and she left to attend BYU. After she graduated with her teaching degree from BYU, she and Jim got married in the LDS Los Angeles Temple on June 17, 1961. Jim and Joan moved to Santa Monica where her first daughters, Janna and Kelley, were born. They soon moved to La Canada, California, right next door to her mother and father on Commonwealth Ave, and Joan had three more children; Lorraine, Michael, and Steven. Lorraine died from a congenital heart defect without ever leaving the hospital, she was just three days old. Our family believes they are now together again. Everyone in both families would walk through the arched hedge and visit with each other daily. Joan held a pre-school at her home during these years and was able to help many children on a pathway of fun and learning. The family then moved to the Dorset house in La Canada-Flintridge where she had two more children, Amy and Jeffrey. She managed a large house and a large family, held many callings in the LDS Ward and Stake, went on bike rides with friends, fed her chickens, and milked Irene the goat twice a day. Joan had one more baby, Diana, when she moved to Northridge, California where she enjoyed being a member of the Chatsworth Ward. The whole family moved to Simi Valley, California in 1977 and in addition to raising her family, continued her Relief Society service. With children in almost every level of school and their accompanying schedules, jobs, sports, and activities, she was a wonder of organization and efficiency. Joan and Jim lived in Simi Valley for 35 years, raising their family and working in the home, the schools, and the church. Her children and their friends swam in the backyard, played basketball in the driveway, ate a lot of chocolate chip cookies, and drank all the chocolate malts that Joan would make for them. She always did her own cooking, cleaning, and yardwork and usually had a sewing project going. In her spare time, Joan took painting classes and college classes at Moorpark Community College. Joan turned out to be a very talented painter and of course, got fantastic grades in college. She also nurtured her inner farmer and kept some chickens and goats. Joan kept her teaching certificate current through all her years as a homemaker and in 1982 went back to the classroom as a teacher for Los Angeles Unified School District. She taught at a few different schools and helped students with their reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, she helped them to learn to speak English, singing along with her as she played her piano and told stories to help make the language come alive for them. She retired from teaching after 20 years in the classroom. After all of their children moved from California, Joan and Jim decided to move to St. George, Utah to be closer to family and where they have lived for the last 10 years. Joan and Jim made every decision together, and every decision they made was selfless and always for the benefit of their family. Joan spent these years hosting family, playing with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, visiting their family around the country, making hundreds of quilts, working tirelessly on her genealogy and temple work, and being active in their wonderful Green Valley 3rd Ward. Joan was preceded in death by her daughter Lorraine, her brother Jimmy, and her parents Merle and Maude Barron. She is survived by her husband of almost exactly 60 years, Edmund James Barlow and 7 children, 26 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. Her surviving children include daughter Janna Neville (Dan) of Kanosh, Utah; Kelley Tenney (Trent) of Lehi, Utah; Michael Barlow (Elaine) of Allen, Texas; Steven Barlow (Jennifer) of McKinney, Texas; Amy Fulton (Craig) of St. George, Utah; Jeffrey Barlow (Amy) of Overland Park, Kansas; and Diana Blaser (Jason) of Tyler, Texas. Our family would like to thank the wonderful hospice nurses and aides with Intermountain Healthcare Hospice. Their kind, loving, and caring help was invaluable to us during this difficult time. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. with a viewing prior from 9-9:45 a.m. at the Green Valley Ward Building located at 1282 W. 500 S. Circle, St. George, UT, right off of Indian Hills Drive. Interment will be held at the Tonaquint Cemetery immediately following the services. For livestream of the funeral service click the link below: https://zoom.us/j/98368243735

Joan Christie Barlow

July 5, 1939 - June 4, 2021