Joan Margaret McGrath (nee Kerr), aged 81, passed away at her home in Kingston Ontario on Friday 26th April. Joan was brought up in Kingussie during the war years and attended Kingussie School for five years (1939 - 44) before the family felt it was safe to return to Liverpool. She was the granddaughter of James and Isabella Macpherson of Craigphadrig, Spey Street. Her Mother, Teassie Kerr (nee Macpherson), retired to Kingussie in 1965 and lived at both Craigphadrig and Craigellachie (two houses her Father built) before she built her final home (Strone Beag), in Spey Street. Joan and husband Gerald, son Euan and daughters Kyla and Ilana were frequent visitor to Kingussie over the years. Joan, along with Willie McLean and Ian Ross were instrumental in the early post-war years in regenerating the Kingussie Tennis Courts. After a few difficult years the club began to thrive and many enjoyable tournaments and competitions took place in the summer months. Joan was an accomplished artist and in this respect followed her Mother who had been a trained art teacher and taught in Badenoch schools in the 1920's. Joan employed different medias and was extremely skilled in pewter work and jewellery. From the early 1970's she organised and ran an annual three day art and crafts exhibition in Kingston called "FanFayr It proved to be a great success and there was much competition from artists all over Canada to pass the jury adjudication and get their material accepted into the exhibition. It was only last year that Joan retired from FanFayre and handed over the reigns to some of her faithful colleagues. Although Joan was born a "Kerr" and married a "McGrath", her heart and soul was always that of a Macpherson. She attended the Macpherson rally every time she was able and delighted in renewing auld acquaintances from former years. The Watson Kerr prize for English Literature at Kingussie High School was gifted by Joan's Mother in memory of her husband who was a Scottish Poet of some considerable distinction in the years between 1910 and 1930. Joan attended the prize giving on every occasion she was able. After the death of her Mother 1994 Joan continued with her annual pilgrimage to the village she loved and which played such a large part throughout her life."