Letitia Joyce Cawston

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Letitia Joyce Cawston

Born: April 21, 1926, in Brookdale, Manitoba.

Died: December 1, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta.

Joyce passed away peacefully at her home in Cambridge Manor. She remained feisty until the end with no apparent health issues except her struggle with dementia.

Joyce was born to William and Stella McDonald (née Armstrong) and grew up on the family farm near the village of Brookdale. She attended grade school in Brookdale and reminisced often about her trips to town for school in the horse drawn wagon pulled by her beloved pony Scotty.

Joyce, the youngest of twins, born to much fanfare on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II, was predeceased by her twin brother Stewart, brother Eldon and Sister Bernice.

Growing up, Joyce enjoyed summers at Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park, where she developed her socializing skills working at the Old Chalet Lodge. These formative years solidified a lifelong love of “the Park” and a yearly anticipation of when it would be time to “go to the cottage”.

Joyce took her Teaching Certificate in Brandon following graduation from high school in Brookdale. Her first teaching assignment was at the Osprey School at the age of 18. Joyce met Clare Cawston when Joyce accepted a teaching position in Kelwood, Manitoba following her graduation from the Central Normal School in Winnipeg.

Joyce and Clare were married in Neepawa, October 20, 1951, and began their life together in Kelwood where Joyce taught school and Clare ran the family garage and dealership.

Joyce and Clare moved to Winnipeg in the fall of 1955 so Clare could attend the University of Manitoba. Joyce took an elementary school teaching position in Fort Gary while Clare attended classes in Geology.

Joyce and Clare moved to Virden, Manitoba after Clare’s graduation. This is where they would spend the next 60 years, raising a daughter (Katherine) and two sons (Bruce and Ronald) in their house on Seymour Street, engaging in the community and developing many lifelong friendships.

Joyce began teaching in Virden in 1966, starting with a kindergarten class in the basement of their house. In 1967, kindergarten classes were started in the Virden School Division, with an enrollment of 52, and Joyce was hired as the first teacher. Later that school year she was appointed principal of Goulter School.

Joyce enjoyed a 35-year teaching career, 22 of those years as Principal. She led by example with energy, determination, and commitment. This included her work with Frank Eastman, chief at Canupawakpa, developing opportunities at Goulter School for students from the reserve creating many meaningful and lifelong relationships

Core subjects were always a priority, students were supported to engage in the annual Science Fair to encourage those with a passion for science research and experimentation.

Joyce cared for others and to help families needing support, food items were collected at Thanksgiving and Christmas and donated to the Food Cupboard.

Academic achievement and character development were priorities for Joyce. During her time working at Goulter, she enrolled in Brandon University to obtain her Bachelor of Education degree. This was done while working a full-time job, raising 3 children and driving an hour each way into Brandon to attend classes!

Joyce encouraged staff members to pursue similar career growth and to take advantage of professional development opportunities. If you were hired to teach at Goulter during Joyces’ principalship, you knew there would be hard work, the presumption of contribution, and a high expectation of being the best educator you could be. Joyce supported students, their families, and staff and never took the easy path.

Joyce retired in 1989, to a retirement party with many friends and colleagues. Before and after retirement Joyce remained active in the community and if she identified a need she acted. Joyce tutored English as a Second Language (ESL) Students, and with Doug Braybrook, initiated the Association of Parents and Professionals for Literacy Education. Joyce was a founding member of the local Retired Teachers. She served as first President of Virden’s Millennium History Book Committee and was a member of the Advisory Committee of Westbran Employment Development Centre.

As long-standing members of St Paul’s United Church, Joyce and Clare both sang in the choir and served on committees.

Joyce had a lifelong love for the Arts and was a strong promoter of their importance in the community. Each teacher at Goulter was expected to have a class entry in a minimum of one discipline in the Virden Music and Arts Festival. She was a member of the Red Hatters, played Piano, sang in various Choirs and helped form the Virden Area Arts Council bringing first class entertainment to Virden’s Auditorium Theater.

Joyce was recognized for her efforts as the recipient of several awards including, the Lescarbot Award in 1992, for her contribution to Arts in the community, the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for outstanding service to her community, the Medal of Distinction and the Fort la Bosse School Division’s 1st Merit Award in 2012.

Aside from her work and community, Joyce liked to travel, enjoying trips to Ireland, England, Russia and Hawaii as well as cruises in the Mediterranean, to the Bahamas and many trips with Clare to South Florida in the winter to visit her daughter Kathy.

Joyce loved to socialize, thoroughly enjoying many social get togethers including her Surprise 80th and 90th Birthday parties. Her weekly trips to the grocery store, in retirement, were a literal social event!

In 2019, Joyce and Clare made the difficult decision to leave their home in Virden and move to Brandon. It was a tearful goodbye to the Virden community they loved and their many dear friends. Joyce and Clare moved west to Calgary and closer to family in 2020. Clare passed away in Calgary in November of 2020. Joyce’s last visit to Virden was in 2022 for an impromptu tea, planned by the generous members of the Virden community.

A dedicated educator, tireless volunteer and supporter of the Arts, always having time to talk with friends and neighbors. Joyce will be dearly missed by her daughter Katherine Corey, (Mitch Feldman), Son Bruce Cawston (Larissa) and grandchildren Natasha (Sam) and Benjamin (Jennifer, great-grandchildren Isaiah and Sahalie), Son Ronald Cawston (Tari) and grandchildren Benjamin, Nicholas and Zachary.

Thank you to the staff of the Brenda Strafford Foundation Cambridge Manor for the care and attention that Joyce received while there from March of 2024.

A Memorial will be planned for the summer of 2026.

In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Auditorium Theater in Virden or the Alzheimer Society Manitoba for Dementia Research.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jan 10, 2026