Daw Joan Heaton Hswe, 90, of Portland, Oregon passes away on May 29, 2025

Daw Joan Heaton Hswe, 90, of Portland, Oregon, wife of Myint Hswe, passed away on May 29, 2025 of natural causes, surrounded by beloved family members.

Joan was born on March 30, 1935, in Pyapon, Burma. Her parents were Edward Heaton, a British subject who worked as a banking administrator in Pyapon, and Daw Margaret (neé Dwe), an ethnic Karén who was a teacher. As Joan liked to say about her hometown, Pyapon had an abundance of seafood, and Joan’s culinary flair for making mohinga, a fish noodle soup and the national dish of Burma, reflected that pride. The eldest of four children, Joan was the sister of Gloria Khin (1939-2024), Victor Heaton (1940-2022) and Peter Heaton, who survives her.
After her school years in Pyapon, Joan passed the highly competitive examination for admission to the University of Rangoon, where she majored in psychology and graduated in 1957. Years later, after more than a decade of living in the U.S. and as the mother of four young children, she returned to school at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), taking classes in COBOL, cinema, and psychology, completing a second B.A. in the lattermost subject. Even while juggling her studies, Joan made it a point to cook meals nearly every night for the family.
Upon graduating from the University of Rangoon, Joan taught English at the Pyapon government high school. A devout Christian all her life, she attended Judson Church, an American Baptist congregation on the university campus, and would play piano there on most Sundays. (Joan also played the accordion.) Judson Church was where Myint first laid eyes on Joan, at a Christmas event, and began a courtship of 4 years that culminated in their wedding on April 2, 1961—a union that lasted 64 years and saw many adventures: immigration to the U.S. shortly after their marriage; life, work, and raising a family through multiple moves (Arizona, Texas, Massachusetts, Texas again, Connecticut, and Germany); and trips to Burma and Thailand, as well as extensive travel in Europe.
A woman of many interests and always keen to have a life outside the home, Joan worked for a time in Dallas as a licensed real estate agent and landlord. In 1984, also in Dallas, she started CH Collections, a retail women’s clothing shop, and spent the next few years cultivating a dedicated customer base for stylish dresses and suits. A savvy entrepreneur, Joan selected the same clothes as the department stores, but didn’t mark it up as much as they did. During her retirement years in Bethany, Connecticut, she volunteered as a translator for Burmese and Karen languages at the Yale-New Haven Hospital. Joan also loved to garden—it was a passion she shared with Myint, especially after he retired in 1995. For many years, they tilled soil, planted seeds, and tended to vegetable and flower plots together, reaping what they sowed through bountiful meals they hosted for family and friends and through the arrangements of peonies and roses around their house in Bethany. This was their sustenance.
Known for her smile, generosity, and unwavering diligence, Joan put her capabilities to work by encouraging others to obtain their dreams. “Go get it!” was one of her famous catchphrases, along with “Do your best!” or “You’re smarter than Einstein!” She and Myint opened their doors and provided any resources they could spare to those in need: family, friends, friends of family, families of friends, strangers, those strangers’ friends and families, divinity school attendees, and refugees from Burma to name a few. It wasn’t uncommon to find a new occupant in the guest room as they got a job, went to school, and acclimated to life in the United States; it was fairly common to find a friend or relative visiting to catch up on old times over English tea served with sweetened condensed milk; and it was expected that if there were clothes that didn’t fit or sheets that weren’t being used anymore, that everything should be bundled with books and toys and brought to a newly immigrated Burmese family. Everyone was family—as favorite and familiar to Joan as she was to them.
In addition to her beloved husband Myint and brother Peter, Joan is survived by all four children and their families: Patricia (Brian Threlkeld, Julian Threlkeld, and Lydia Hswe); Barbara (Stephen Cohen and Sophie Cohen); Marcus (Diane Skorina, Maya Hswe, Bruce Hswe, and Evie Hswe); and Cynthia (Neil Riordan and Margo Riordan). Joan’s seven grandchildren were her life’s joy; they spent many summers and holidays with Pwa Pwa (Joan) and Po Po (Myint) while growing up and will miss her deeply. Joan leaves behind many nieces and nephews, all of whom she treasured and loved to host and cook for over the years. Bruno, Joan’s cherished dog and constant companion, also survives her.
Family and friends are invited to gather on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Cody-White Funeral Home, 107 Broad Street, Milford. Interment will follow at Carrington Cemetery, 84 Rainbow Road, Bethany CT 06524. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice. This event will be livestreamed, to join the viewing place click here.
To leave online condolences please visit www.codywhitefuneralservice.com