Joan Irma Bickerton

Joan Irma (Komedal) Bickerton, lifelong resident of Bainbridge Island, passed away at home on February 4, 2026.

Joan was born April 16, 1936 in her grandmother's home in Seabold. The oldest of three children born to Stanley and Virginia (Henderson) Komedal, she grew up in a close-knit community of family and neighbors back when the island was a simpler place. She attended Lincoln Elementary School (the present site of Winslow Green), and graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1955. She worked for Alaska Airlines in Seattle before marrying John W. Bickerton. An excellent seamstress, Joan sewed both her and her sister Sylvia's wedding dresses when they both married in the summer of 1957.

Joan raised two children, babysat others, and looked in on family and neighbors. Joan was employed at Esther's Fabric for five years before purchasing the business with partner Pat Marken in 1986. They sold the store in 1991.

Joan was an active member of Seabold Community Club for most of her life and served as rental secretary for 25 years. She was instrumental in the preservation and upkeep of Seabold Hall, keeping rental fees affordable and the Hall accessible to neighborhood families and community groups. In 2011 she oversaw the transfer of the Seabold Hall property into the hands of the Bainbridge Park District where it remains a community gathering place.

She was a member of the Bainbridge Historical Society and served as a docent at the Bainbridge Historical Museum. A lifelong member of Seabold Church, she served in all aspects of church life, from positions of leadership to providing altar flowers from her garden, cookies for receptions, and sandwiches for the homeless.

She kept in touch with relations near and far. As the elder generation passed, she naturally slipped into the role of matriarch and family historian. She possessed a remarkable memory for people, the past, and all things Bainbridge. For years she hosted family Thanksgiving and Easter gatherings at Seabold Hall and Christmas at her home. She welcomed everyone.

Joan was a woman of exceptional character, humility, and thoughtfulness, always thinking of others first. She patiently cared for her husband "Jug" at home for as long as she could then became a fixture at Island Health and Rehab as she spent hours by his side each day for 18 months until his death in 2012 after 55 years of marriage.

In addition to sewing, she enjoyed gardening, birds, reading about local and Alaskan history, road trips to visit Jug's family, and researching, locating, and visiting sites across the country where her ancestors had lived. She enjoyed trips to the ocean and family picnics at "the Sandspit".

She is survived by son Ralph (Angie) Bickerton, brother Morris (JoAnn) Komedal, grandchildren Travis, Elisabeth and John; and a large and beloved extended family. She is preceded in death by husband John, daughter Connie, and sister Sylvia.

A memorial service will be held at 1 pm Saturday, March 14th, at Seabold United Methodist Church, 6894 NE Seabold Church Road. A reception will follow at Seabold Community Hall, 14450 Komedal Rd NE. Remembrances can be made to Helpline House or the Bainbridge Island Historical Society.

Arrangements entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA.