Joanne Edwards, 1930-2023

Joanne Edwards died at the age of 93 on August 24, 2023 after a short illness.

Joanne Aileen (nee Williams) Edwards was born in 1930 in Portland, Oregon. In 1944 she and her family moved to San Francisco, CA, where she graduated high school. She completed nurses' training at Franklin Hospital in 1952. She met her husband, Claude Edwards, through a YMCA camping and hiking club. They got married in 1952 and eventually moved to San Mateo, California. They raised 5 children there before moving to Claude's homeplace in Southeastern Kentucky. In 1988, they moved to Bartow, Florida. Joanne worked as a registered nurse everywhere she lived until she retired in 1995.

For 35 years, Joanne was an active member of her senior community: organizing outings, producing a newsletter, welcoming newcomers, serving as treasurer for Bingo as well as many other activities. She played in the Polk Senior Games where she won many gold medals. She enjoyed swimming and bowling her entire life.

Claude and Joanne enjoyed many cross-country trips visiting friends and family. Joanne did all the driving on those trips. She lost her husband, Claude, when he died in 2012. Joanne continued to enjoy visits with her children and grandchildren. She was an avid reader and a crocheter. She finished several bedspreads in her 90s. Until a few weeks before she died, she completed daily crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, games of Scrabble and Cribbage.

Joanne was kind, generous, adventurous and fun. People who knew her appreciated her intelligent, curious and engaged qualities. She will be greatly missed.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Harold Williams and Almabelle (Varrelman) Williams, brother Ralph Williams, sister Helen Diaz, husband Claude Edwards, daughter Kathleen Edwards, grandson Paul Jones, and great granddaughter Dakota Carroll.

She is survived by her sister Pauline Darnell, brother Robin Williams, son Randy Edwards, daughter Betty Edwards (Sherry Haaf), daughter Cindi Edwards, son Ernest Edwards (Luanne Edwards), grandchildren Jeffrey Farler, Angi Keathley, Earl Jones, John Jones, Lucy Brown, Rachel Martin, Emerald Edwards, Jackqueline Edwards, Joseph Edwards, 10 great grandchildren and 2 great greatgrandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, it would honor her to make a donation to The Red Cross.

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