Joanne Marie Lawson Bezanson
Passed on: January 14th, 2018
It is with great sadness that we, the family of Joanne Marie Lawson Bezanson, announce her passing at Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney Cape Breton on January 14, 2018. She was the daughter of the late James Everett Rozee and Jean Lawson Baird Rozee.
She is survived by her sister, Barbara Smith, and brother, David Rozee Sr.
She was predeceased by her first husband, Reginald Bezanson Sr.; her second husband, James Latter; brothers, Robert Rozee and Dr. Ken Rozee, and sister, Beverly Mahabir.
Joanne married her childhood sweetheart, Reginald Bezanson Sr. He was a soldier and her early life was spent traveling from base to base across Canada and raising her growing family. She had four children, Barb (Bruce) Scott, Reg (Linda) Bezanson, Allan (Sandy) Bezanson and Charles (Heather Imhoff) Bezanson.
During this time Joanne was a stay at home mom and was extensively involved with her community through the Girl Guides of Canada, eventually becoming a Commissioner of Girl Guides in the Oromocto area of New Brunswick. As with all military wives of the time, she was soon moving again. This time to sunny Manitoba. As her children were now older, she returned to the work force and worked at a bakery in Rivers Manitoba. The local high school students soon learned of her talent and rushed the bakery every lunch hour to sample her creations of the day. Joanne’s door was always open and the kitchen table counsel was freely and lovingly given to all who sought it. There was always a warm hug, a hot cup of tea and open invitation to stay as long as it took to solve whatever it was.
Joanne eventually returned to Halifax, her place of birth, and found employment with MT & T, where she made many lifelong friends and developed a career in Yellow Page Sales. After the death of her husband (Reg Bezanson) she dedicated her spare time to hospice work with the “Daughters of The Nile” volunteering her time and energy to the Veterans at Camp Hill Hospital. Throughout Joanne’s life music was a passion that was expressed daily with many favourite tunes being sung with a beautiful and gifted voice that comforted many a child and veteran alike.
Joanne was blessed with seven grandchildren, Carole Anne Mastoras, William Allen Scott, Amanda Handley, Dr. Joshua Bezanson, Dr. Thayne Bezanson, Jesse Bezanson and Kate Bezanson, and three great grandchildren, Julia, Lily and Avery.
Cremation has taken place. The family will have an interment and a celebration of life in the spring, date and location TBA.
