Northrup, Joanne
NORTHRUP (BYRON), Joanne
Joanne Byron Northrup was born in San Francisco in 1943 and went Home to be with her Lord and her parents, who preceded her in death, Dr. Ralph and Dorothy Byron, the eve of Christmas Eve, 2020. It is probably not serendipity that Christmas was her favorite time of the year.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. William F. Northrup, III, and children, William IV, Scott and Cindy (Danielson), Jeffrey and Janna (Laing), Jennifer and Peter Lillehei, Megan and Peter Fitzgerald and her grandchildren, William V, Gates, Perryn, Håkan, Quinn, Gillian, Aubrey, Shelby, Grace, Luke, Jack, Mae, June and Rose.
Joey lived in Edina, MN most of her adult life where she made a home and raised her children. She was the glue of the family. Her home was also the most welcoming place in town. The door was always open to anyone and everyone who came by. There were literally hundreds of people who sat at her kitchen counter and were welcomed to lunch and dinner over the years. She was undaunted even if 30 people suddenly showed up around dinner time--she could magically make a meal for everybody in no time. The family accountant was baffled by the absence of a food budget, but it was imperative to Joey that she run her house this way, generously and hospitably. She was always available for anyone to use the swimming pool, the workout room or just sit and watch movie after movie with her--while she typically slept, waking up to laugh or sigh at just the right moment.
She was more generous than anyone we know. She loved nothing better than taking friends and extended family on school clothes shopping trips or to buy Christmas presents. She filled grocery bags to the brim with treats for school on birthdays. She handed out $20 bills to everyone she invited to join her as their tour guide at the MN State Fair (one of her favorite events every year that she attended every day) with the instructions to "eat whatever you want, but you should really try the foot-long hot dogs with the best lemonade from that place by the Grandstand."
She was an extraordinary storyteller, sometimes historical, sometimes make-believe. She liked to entertain us with stories about growing up in California, the daughter of a cancer surgeon and operatic singer. She laughed at herself in a disarming way that radiated a kind of sparkling happiness wherever she was.
Always up for adventure and fun, any morning might start with an invitation for anyone around to go someplace special. When Camp Snoopy opened at the Mall of America, it seemed to be her greatest joy to bring her grandkids with her so they could ride all day on unlimited ride wristbands.
If someone needed decorating advice, she would sit for hours helping not only pick out the items but suggest exactly where in the house they should go. Joey spent an entire week decorating the house for Christmas. She also loved fishing up North with her family on Namakan Lake in Ontario, Canada, where for many years up to 40 family members from 4
generations joined in. She serenaded us with her opera quality voice (which she also joyfully shared with their friends at Edina Baptist Church and later on at Christ Presbyterian Church as a frequent soloist), helped her kids and husband with any kind of idea, whether it was for a school project or as the co-inventor of medical devices patented and commercialized for heart valve repair and blood vessel connections.
Yeah, she was really that amazing.
If you had a problem, she usually was able to quickly get to the bottom of it with her instinctive radar, asking all the right questions and then, after considering all the angles, gave typically cogent advice--even changing the course of some of our lives for the better.
She was fiercely loyal to her children and she shared a mutual love with her husband that was unwavering. After Bill traded his career as a cardiac surgeon in MN for one as a surgical educator with CryoLife, a medical device Company in GA, she and Bill moved to GA and traveled literally all over the world for much of the last 12 years engaging with medical and surgical professionals--always together and always combined with the shared enjoyment of fun adventures. They called it "some monkey-business along with the business."
Unfortunately, Joey developed an insidious chronic lung condition a few years ago. Although it gradually slowed her down, she fought against it without complaint in true Joey-style. In fact, it's hard to remember when she ever complained about anything.
She gave of herself, her talents, her wisdom straight from her heart every moment of her life. We don't even know how to live without her, but we will honor her life with her family members and close friends in the days to come. She is being cremated and, at her request, her ashes will be thrown into her favorite Namakan Lake.
The family would love to hear your memories of our Joey. Text messages can be sent to Jen Lillehei at +1 757-947-7154 or by email at jenniferlillehei@yahoo.com to share with the rest of us. Please no memorials or flowers. We would love for everyone to remember her by performing similar acts of kindness, generosity, joy and love, and by living life full of optimism and fun. In her spirit of giving everything away for free, contributions in her name can be made to these international humanitarian organizations, Samaritans Purse (samaritanspurse.org) or the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Foundation (myglobalheart.org).
By Janna Northrup, on behalf of Joey's family and friends
