Joan Ash

Joan Ash was promoted to Glory on March 9, 2026, at the age of 90, following a brief illness. Born on August 15, 1935, in Parry Sound, Ontario, she was the daughter of the late Samuel and Jessica Greer. Growing up along the shores of Georgian Bay, Joan developed a lifelong love of the water and often recalled cherished days spent fishing and swimming in the lake with her father and siblings.

A devoted soldier of The Salvation Army, Joan lived faithfully by the motto “Heart to God and Hand to Man.” She attended The Salvation Army Training College in Toronto as a member of the Sword Bearers session and was commissioned as an officer in June 1956. For more than sixteen years she served in various ministry appointments before becoming Corps Sergeant-Major, providing leadership, encouragement, and a steadfast example of faith at West Toronto Corps, York Community Church, and most recently at Yorkminster Citadel.

In October 1972, Joan resigned her officership to marry her beloved Clifford Ash. The couple shared 43 wonderful years of marriage until Clifford’s promotion to Glory in 2015. Together they spent their spring seasons in St. Petersburg, Florida, enjoying sunshine, baseball games, time with their grandchildren, and fellowship with dear lifelong friends Dorothy and Ernest Cornish, while continuing their faithful service with The Salvation Army.

Joan is lovingly remembered by her step-son Gordon Ash and his wife Susan Cutajar, her grandchildren of whom she was so proud, her younger sister Diana Zsolyomy, and her nieces and nephew, each of whom held a special place in her heart. She was predeceased by her parents Samuel and Jessica Greer, her brother Ralph, her dear older sister Doris Collingridge, and her cherished friend Dorothy Cornish. Her life was marked by deep faith, kindness, and a genuine love for God and others, leaving behind a legacy of faithful service that continues to inspire all who knew her.