A COMMUNITY stalwart who plays Wordle daily with her daughters has celebrated her 100th birthday in style.
Joan Sheppard, who has lived in Stoke by Nayland for 52 years, marked the occasion surrounded by friends and family at the village hall.
Joan’s kindness and generosity have turned her into a much-loved member of the community and she has been working quietly but diligently to make Colchester and the surrounding area a better place to live.
Having moved from Kent when her husband got a telecommunications job in town, Joan was in charge of the Colchester Community Voluntary Services for several years.
During that time she helped set up a number of projects, including mental health organisation Colchester Mind.
“She was put on this world to help and to give,” said her daughter Alison Sheppard.
“Charity work was completely her calling.”
Alison, 61, who lives in Canada, added: “She was a teacher and moved to social work where she discovered her love of helping others.
“She also started We’ll Help where she would drive people to doctors’ appointments and pick up prescriptions. Now she can be someone who uses that service but originally she helped set it up.”
Joan used to be a teacher at Stoke by Nayland Primary School and her humble and giving nature has left a mark on everyone.
Alison said: “During the lunch celebration it was a complete surprise for all of us when one of the teachers came with three of the children.
“Every student at the school had written a special birthday message to her and there was a photograph of an event she had attended in the past.”
Joan, who also has a son, Michael, daughter Beth Haysom, nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren, is a keen gardener and animal lover.
But among other hobbies, Joan loves the daily Wordle games with Alison and Beth, 71.
Alison added: “We do it with her in the morning because we think, and she agrees, it is really important to keep your brain active “She can’t see the letters so we read them out to her, she chooses the first word and we read out to her the result.
“She has to hold that in her mind and she often gets it way before we do.”
“She is amazing.”
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