Jo Ann Thompson, of Sheffield, died on November 14th, 2020. She was 89. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 17th, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Tuscumbia.
Jo Ann graduated from Sheffield High School in May of 1950. She married Bobby Gill Thompson Sr on December 20th, 1950, and they lived together in the Shoals area for their entire lives.
She was formerly employed by Sheffield Federal Savings and Loan Company and by the Southern Bell Telephone Company. It was the name of that phone company that captures the essence of Jo Ann Thompson: a true southern belle.
Jo Ann curated a home full of beautiful antique furniture and cultivated gardens that birds loved to linger in and (to the chagrin of Bobby Gill) squirrels eagerly raided. Her skill in the kitchen was in direct correlation with the amount of salt and butter used in her recipes (never disappointing). No adventure was too big or concert too loud. Her travels included traveling the streets of Venice, Italy, New York City, and Munich, Germany, and many places in between. Most of all Jo Ann was immensely proud of her family, and leaves behind nothing but beautiful, loving memories with them. Though enthusiastic and joyful in many areas of her life, it was for her family that these traits bloomed greatest. It is with her family that she will leave behind her greatest legacy.
Looking in her favorite book “Gone with the Wind” we find these words. “Never pass up new experiences, they enrich the mind.” If these words are to be true, Jo Ann lived a life that left her mind fully enriched.
Jo Ann was preceded in death by her loving husband, Bobby Gill; her parents, Harry William and Martha Ann Thomason, both of Sheffield; and brother, Harry Bryant Thomason.
She is survived by her sons, Bobby Gill Thompson Jr. of Florence and wife Greta, and Kevin Bryant “Goose” Thompson of Tuscumbia and wife Debbie; sister, Bobbie Belle Smith of Tuscumbia; sister-in-law, Carolyn Thomason of Anniston, AL; grandchildren, A.J. Thompson Zielike of Saint Paul, MN and husband Andrew, Bryant Thompson of Tuscaloosa and wife Grace, Trey Thompson of Floyd, VA and wife Melanie, and Kathryn Ann Clarke of Nashville, TN and husband Sean; great-granddaughters, Elite and Violet Ann Thompson; and a number of nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Brentwood Retirement Community, Terrace Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Massey Drugs in Tuscumbia, and Drs. Jonathan Parker and William Heaton for their care and support of Jo Ann in recent years.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in support of the Christian youth organization, Floyd County Young Life, PO Box 662, Floyd, VA 24091 or@ giving.younglife.org/floydcountyvirginia.
Please leave a tribute for the family @ morrisonfuneralhomes.com.
