Joan H. Edmonds (née Adem), affectionately known as Grandma Joan, passed away on July 5, 2024, at the age of 85 in Bellevue, Washington. Born in Hong Kong on April 27, 1939 to Mohammed Adem and Hanifa Minu Adem, Joan and Joseph Edmonds immigrated with their young family to Seattle, Washington in 1978. Joan was a passionate and humble lifelong learner, a dedicated and devout Catholic who always made everyone, especially each grandchild feel special with her never-ending kindness and generosity.

Joan pursued her higher education at the University of Hong Kong, majoring in European History, followed by a Master's in Social Work from the University of Washington. Her professional life was marked by significant accomplishments, including her role as a school principal in Hong Kong that positively affected thousands of students' lives. In the US, her career as a Social Worker and Case Manager at the City of Seattle in the Aging & Disability Services earned her the honor of Maximum Achievement Award in 1992 and again in 1997 by the Department of Housing and Human Services.

Joan's Catholic faith was vibrant and central to her life. She was a parishioner and active volunteer at St. Louise Catholic Church and has always advocated for those who are less fortunate by dedicating her time at St. Vincent de Paul. In her free time, Joan enjoyed playing Mahjong with her friends and was in a book club to continue her lifelong learning. She cherished family gatherings for dim sum and loved traveling and exploring new places with her children and grandchildren.

She is survived by four generations of family, including her siblings Mariam, Oscar, Hedy (Kwok Tai), Mimoona, Suzanne (Michael), daughters Millie (Jeff) and Cora (Phil), son Derek (Juiling), grandchildren Angelique, Cody (Andrea), Emily, Simon, Anna, Karina (Matt), Dima, Valeria, Jason, Amber, and her great-granddaughter Atlas, along with many nieces and nephews worldwide.

A funeral mass in Joan's honor will take place on Monday, July 15, 2024, at 10:30am at St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue, WA, followed by a Celebration of Life Memorial Reception from 11:30am - 1pm at the church. Burial arrangements are being handled by Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Bellevue.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the St. Louise/St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank in honor of Joan Edmonds. https://tinyurl.com/SVDP-Joan-Edmonds Joan's life and legacy of service and dedication will be remembered by all who knew her.