Joan Amy's Obituary
Joan Ellen Amy was born in Julesburg, Colorado on August 6, 1962, to Robert and Catharine (Achenbach) Amy. At the age of three, she moved with her family to Phoenix, Arizona and one year later to Mexico City. Her maternal grandfather, B. H. Achenbach had always said travel is the best educator and she spent all her primary and secondary education living in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Tokyo and Hong Kong, immersing in languages and cultures. Still, her entire life, her favorite place to visit and spend time was Julesburg. She adored being part of the parade, seeing the County Fair and decorating for the 4th of July. Julesburg was her favorite place to spend Christmas. An amateur photographer, she took countless photos of the area. Just as she was ready to enter college, her parents returned to the U.S. and she enrolled in Mills College, from which she graduated in 1986 with a degree in English literature/Creative Writing and Set & Lighting Design. She remained in the Bay area the rest of her life, enjoying the unique culture, climate and the friends she made here. The temporary job she took with ACME Scenery Company became a career as Office Manager, where fellow employees were like family. She is survived by sisters Susan Amy (Jim Ziegler) and Chris (Don) Peterson, nieces Dani (Ben) Fowler, Cecelia Guerrie, Bobbi (Jeff) Tophoj, and Harly (Mandi) Amy; great nieces Emily Fowler and Alayna Amy and great nephew Kaleb Fowler.
Death Is Nothing At All
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just round the corner.
All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
~ Henry Scott-Holland 1847-1918
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Describe a day with Joan you’ll never forget.
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