We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Mrs. Jo-Anne Bates; a devoted wife, caring sister, and dear friend to all who knew her.
She passed away on May 18, 2026, Victoria Day, at home surrounded by those she loved most: Ron Bates and her two dogs, Gunner and KC, after a tough fight with cancer.
Jo-Anne was born on March 20th, 1960, in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Ronald and Clara Fredborg. Growing up, she spent a lot of time with her maternal grandparents Joe & Anne Gall. From them-and her mother-she learned many skills that sparked her creativity and artistry like sewing and making crafts and small handmade items.
After finishing at Selkirk High School, Jo-Anne started working at the Canadian Tire Automotive Service Desk where she stayed for several years. Over time, she worked with different employers until she settled into Western Grocers’ office job, retiring there after many dedicated years. She also played an important role in supporting her husband Ron’s business “Canadian Bat Houses,” handling operations and being a key part of the team.
Jo-Anne had a real talent for creative work-she shone in everything she did with great care and attention to detail. She completed lots of projects that were always beautiful and precise. Not only did she enjoy making these things but also giving some away as gifts. The pieces she crafted will be treasured forever by those lucky enough to receive them.
Besides Ron, one of Jo-Anne’s biggest loves was raising their various Cocker Spaniels over the years. She loved spending time at their camp on Cushing Lake with Ron and the dogs-from relaxing moments to fish fries or chatting with friends-it just won’t be the same without her around.
Jo-Anne leaves behind her loving husband of 26 years Ron; her brother John (Rosie) along with their kids Amanda and Curtis. She’ll also be missed by her mother-in-law Florence; brothers- and sisters-in-law Karen (Cliff), Grant (Dorothy), Greg (Beth); plus Ron’s children Christopher and Sharon along with grandchildren Mackenzie and Madison. Many nieces, nephews cousins-and friends-will remember her fondly too.
She was preceded in death by her parents Ronald and Clara as well as grandparents Joe and Anne Gall.
A big thank you goes out to Dr. Sellick, Dr. Bhat and everyone at TBRHSC; Michael Uitto along with Harbourview Team; Bayshore especially Crystal-for all your care during this difficult period for Jo-Anne and Ron. Thanks also to Phyllis Danu who will lead a lovely service celebrating Jo-Anne’s life. We’re grateful for all who stood by them offering support through these hard times especially near the end.
If you visited either in hospital or at home helped out or reached out through calls or texts-know it meant so much to both of them during such a challenging time; your kindness truly made a difference.
If you’d like to honor Jo-Anne differently than flowers please consider donating to the Humane Society instead.
She’ll always be loved deeply missed but kept close in our hearts forever.
The service celebrating Jo-Anne’s life is set for June 10th 2026 at Harbourview Funeral Centre starting at 11:00am-you’re welcome to join us then.
! function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s)
{if(f. fbq)return; n=f. fbq=function(){n. call Method?
n. call Method. apply(n, arguments): n. queue. push(arguments)};
if(! f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n. push=n; n. loaded=!0; n. version=’2.0′;
n. queue=[]; t=b. create Element(e); t. async=!0;
t. src=v; s=b. get Elements By Tag Name(e)[0];
s. parent Node. insert Before(t, s)}(window, document,’script’,
‘https://connect. facebook. net/en_US/fbevents. js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘1329423167624188’);
fbq(‘track’, ‘Page View’);
