Joan Dewey Wilkerson's Obituary
Joan Dewey Wilkerson (Arata), 82, passed away Friday July 1, 2022, with her daughter, CeCe Wilkerson, and life partner of nearly forty years, Joseph Arata, by her side. Born at Mare Island, CA, she was the daughter of Ralph Dewey, a Navy sailor, and soon-to-be psychologist Rosie Stone. Raised primarily in San Diego, she moved to the SF Bay Area as a young adult. Joan and Joe met while working at HP. In their life together, she took great pleasure in the little things, from finding whimsical spinning décor to brighten their yard to preparing home-cooking at the holidays, the details of home with Joe brought her joy. They enjoyed traveling together, especially along the coast; a special memory was their trip to the World's Fair in Vancouver. CeCe and Joan also took quite a few trips; though Santa Barbara was a favorite stop of theirs, Joan accompanied CeCe on several jaunts to Disneyland, including her granddaughters' very first trip to the Magic Kingdom. One of her guilty pleasures was when she and CeCe would occasionally pop into a casino to play slots. Joan was an avid reader, a passion she shared with her daughter. CeCe and Joan shared an especially close bond, each considering the other their "person."
Joan was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Martha and Dee, her brother Sam, and her son Jimmy, with whom she looks forward to reuniting. Joan shared generously of her heart: loving animals, especially the pups she adopted and the wild birds she and Joe invited into their yard over the years; donating often; and bringing joy to others, such as in her role as "office mom." She recalled fondly her time as nanny to Ben Snedecor, continuing to have a special relationship with him and his family through the years. She left behind pieces of her beautiful heart to her daughter, her life partner, and her granddaughters, Maegan Joan and Brittney Morgan, of whom she was exceedingly proud, and was so happy to have been able to spend meaningful time with shortly before her passing. She loved her friends dearly and was so appreciative of friendships that lasted decades as well as the newer friendships that had become important to her. We are grateful to Mission Hospice of San Mateo for their compassion and for making it possible for her to find peace in her final days.
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