Joan was born September 22, 1931, in Hampshire, England to Arthur and Annie (Hamley) Marsh. As a child, she learned to sew and knit, skills she would carry with her for her entire lifetime. She attended business college and became a secretary, working for England Pirellis General as a contract secretary.
On July 4, 1953, Joan married Jeff Frettingham in Bishops Waltham, Hampshire, England. The couple moved to Canada and started their family. Here, Joan began working as a legal secretary. Joan and Jeff later found their way to the United States in 1979, making the Olympic Peninsula their home.
Joan adored animals, especially dogs. She groomed, bred, and entered dogs in agility classes and competitions. In later years, Joan knitted hats and booties for babies, donating them to the Dove House shelter in Port Townsend. She was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Port Townsend, where she and Jeff have belonged for 44 years.
In later life Joan was a breast cancer survivor and suffered from asthma, diabetes and dementia, spending the last five months of her life at Discovery Memory Care in Sequim (now “The Cottages.”) The family wish to thank the staff and hospice nurses for their compassionate care during her final days.
Joan is survived by her husband, Jeff; daughters Beverly (Paris) Dennis, Lynne (Jim) Davis, and Debbie Norris; sister Christine (Phillip) Rooksby, nephews John and David Rooksby, grandchildren Marc, Shawn, Brian, Erin, Sami and Spencer; and great-grandchildren Madison, Jet, Cameryn and Aili. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Annie Marsh; her brother, Ken Marsh; her brother-in-law, Philip Rooksby; and her nephew, Edward Rooksby.
Sequim Valley Chapel is honored to serve the family. Please visit out online register book at www.sequimvalleychapel.com to leave cherished memories for the family.
