JoAnn Walker

JoAnn Shirley Walker, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 19, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee. She was 82 years old.

Born at home in Forrest City, Arkansas, on January 31, 1943, to Flossie Logan, JoAnn spent her childhood running barefoot down gravel roads, playing with toy cars with her friends, and going to the movies. She attended the local Catholic school until seventh grade, then continued her education at Forrest City public schools where she met her future husband, Bill Walker.

JoAnn and Bill's relationship began in junior high and continued to grow throughout high school. After just one semester of college apart (JoAnn at Stephens College in Missouri and Bill at Vanderbilt University), the two reunited at the University of Arkansas. In the spring of their junior year, the couple eloped, driving JoAnn's Volkswagen Bug to South Carolina where they were married. They celebrated with a simple meal of collard greens and cornbread, a tradition they kept each anniversary. Their honeymoon in New York City included seeing "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," marking the beginning of a lifetime of shared adventures.

Both graduated from the University of Arkansas, with JoAnn earning her B.A. in English. She began her career teaching seventh grade in Memphis before dedicating herself full-time to raising their three children: Bill (born 1968), Alice (born 1971), and Annie (born 1976). The family lived in Memphis, Nashville, and New Orleans before settling in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1978 where JoAnn lived the rest of her life.

A devoted mother, JoAnn centered her life around her children's happiness. She spent countless hours supporting their passions—sitting through rehearsals, driving them to lessons, offering a shoulder to cry on, and cheering them on in every endeavor. Her heart grew even fuller with the arrival of her grandchildren: Henry (1997), Lilly (1999), and Amelia (2006). Known affectionately as "LaLa," JoAnn delighted in reading to them, playing with them, and watching them grow into creative, caring, and smart young adults.

A lifelong reader, JoAnn found great joy in books. Her favorite job was at the library in Memphis, where she cherished her time being surrounded by books in the peace and quiet of the basement archives. And long before online search engines, she fulfilled inquisitive calls to the library by thumbing through the books to find answers to people's random questions. JoAnn loved collecting art and antiques, something she enjoyed her whole life and something she passed on to her children. She could tell you a story behind each piece she had collected throughout the years. She also loved to laugh. Whether rewatching sitcoms from her youth or rereading her favorite book, "A Confederacy of Dunces," she believed that laughter was the best medicine, and she was often found laughing loudly and unapologetically behind a book.

JoAnn was strong and independent. One might call her a tough cookie. She lived with resilience, instilling in her children the importance of always standing up for themselves and remaining strong in all situations.

JoAnn's earthly time with her beloved husband, Bill, came to an end when he passed away in May of 2023, just a couple of months after they had celebrated their fifty-ninth anniversary. Their years together will be remembered as ones of love, devotion, and friendship that endured the many challenges of life.

JoAnn is preceded in death by her husband, William C. Walker, Jr.; her mother, Flossie Logan; and her brothers, Bobby and James. She is survived by her children, Bill (Valeria), Alice (Scott), and Annie (Jimmy); her grandchildren, Henry, Lilly, and Amelia; and a host of family and friends who will miss her deeply.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Hydrocephalus Association (www.hydroassoc.org), a cause close to JoAnn's heart after her diagnosis and treatment in 2015.

JoAnn's legacy is one of laughter, strength, love, and devotion to her family. Her family and friends will forever carry her memory in their hearts.