JoAnne White, 79, passed away peacefully at Athens Limestone Hospital on the morning of Friday, July 11, 2020. She died unexpectedly and quickly of a hemorrhagic stroke.
JoAnne was born to Oakley and Elsie Butler on December 31, 1940, in Lauderdale County, Alabama. She married the love of her life, Eugene White, in Sheffield on May 30, 1958.
She graduated from Sheffield High School and then after many years of part time college classes, she dedicated full time to her studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. After many years of various jobs and as an administrative assistant in various capacities, she was finally given the job and responsibilities she deserved when she was hired by Boeing to handle multi-million dollar accounts in Wichita as a Mainframe Software Buyer for Boeing Computer Services and then in Huntsville, Alabama as a buyer of Restraints and Mobility Aides for the Space Station. She left the work force to do the more important and difficulty job of caring for her aging parents and parents-in-law until all of their passings.
JoAnne was a generous and caring woman and her giving spanned her lifetime from volunteering to help give physical therapy to disabled children to carrying meals to the elderly with Meals on Wheels. She was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church and for a short time she put her organizational skills together with her servant’s heart to lead their senior group called Triple E’s. She was proud of her Walton and Butler family and her Mitchell Town heritage and spent many hours researching genealogy and making invaluable historical contributions to the books: “History of Elgin Crossroads & Nearbys” and “The Heritage of Lauderdale County, Alabama”.
JoAnne was a dedicated wife and mother first and foremost. Her love and devotion to her husband was a true love story. She treasured her children and embraced every moment with them. She especially loved her role as “Monga”, the name her first grandchild gave her as he was learning to talk, a name she embraced with loving arms. Her grandchildren were her world and would do anything for them. She had an exuberant personality and always made people around her laugh. She made friends everywhere she went and always made everyone feel welcome. To say she will be missed does not even begin to express the incredible hole that has been left in our hearts.
JoAnne is survived by her husband, Eugene and her two children, Joel White (and wife Peg AtKisson), and daughter Diane Georgiou (and husband George). She is survived by five grandchildren Nick Georgiou, Irene Kennedy (and husband Nicholas), Emily Lowery (and husband James), Josh White and Mitchell White, and two precious and adored great-grandchildren, Kora and Kayson Kennedy. She is also survived by three sisters-in-law, Jane Houser, Linda White and Martha Butler and brother-in-law Glenn White (and wife Marian) and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Jackie Butler and Wayne Butler.
A graveside service with immediate family in attendance will be July 15th. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
