Obituary of Joan Charlotte Savage

Joan Charlotte Savage (nee Tapping)

September 24, 1952 ~ April 14, 2026

Joan Charlotte Savage passed away peacefully in the ICU unit at the Red Deer Hospital with her family at her side, on the evening of April 14, 2026, at the age of 73 years.

Joan was born in Edmonton on September 24, 1952, the second daughter of Cecil and Olive Tapping. She was raised in Edmonton, where her dad was yard master at the CN Calder Yard in north Edmonton. She worked part time at a local bakery from the time she was fourteen and often laughed about her dad taking care of all the unsold doughnuts. She graduated from Ross Sheppard High School in 1970 and got her first job at the Credit Union. She was a very compassionate person and nursed both of her parents through terminal cancer. She met Jim one night when she accompanied her friend to visit her boyfriend Harwood in Avord Arms apartment – Jim and Harwood just happened to be room mates! They were married in 1971 and after Jim wrote his CA finals, they moved to Lacombe in November 1971 where Jim became an associate with Pallister Cookson, Chartered Accountants. This move led to several lifelong friendships with “the gang” at the office. While in Lacombe, Jim and Joan bought their first house, a new three bedroom bungalow for the whopping price of $18,000. Both Scott and Pat were born at the Lacombe Hospital.

In 1976, Jim and Joan moved to the Savage farm west of Stettler to pursue their dream of farming, where they resided for the next 50 years. Quite a change for a girl who was raised in the city! After the boys were grown and pursuing their careers, Joan became the owner/manager of Stettler Registry Services where she and her staff gained a well deserved reputation for their knowledge and friendly, courteous service. Joan’s career lasted for 22 years, and she finally retired in 2018 so she could spend more time working on her yard which was one of her passions.

Joan was a very devoted mother and grandmother who took great pride in the accomplishments of her sons and granddaughters. One of the highlights of her life was a trip to New York in December 2025 with her granddaughters and former daughter-in-law, Cindy, to visit Cassie; who has spent the past nine months at a dance studio in New Jersey and New York. “Nana’ was so proud to watch Cassie perform. Jozee shared a hotel room with Nana, who has always been Jozee’s best friend for almost 18 years, and everybody had a lot of laughs and adventures in New York. Seems like Nana found it necessary to make a few “loans” to the girls over the past few years!

Joan will be forever loved and remembered by Jimmy, her husband of 54 years; sons Scott (Kimberly) of Stettler and Patrick (Joyce) of Australia; very beloved granddaughters Cassie and Jozee of Cochrane; former daughter-in-law Cindy of Cochrane; brother-in-law Dave (Marliss) Savage and their family in Red Deer; long time best friend Linda Martin; her two devoted dogs Molly and Dexter; her “extended family” at the Coffee Tree in Stettler; and many many dear friends.

Joan was pre-deceased by her parents Cecil (1979) and Olive (1983) and her only sister June (2007).

Come and Go Celebration

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 from 1:00 ~ 4:00 PM

Stettler Funeral Home, Stettler, Alberta

Memorial donations if desired may be made to any animal shelter, Erskine United Church, Box 433, Erskine, Alberta, T0C 1G0, Red Deer Regional Health Foundation, 3942-50A Ave

Red Deer, Alberta, T4N 4E7 or a charity of your choice.