Jo Ann Hardin Hadaway passed into the arms of Jesus on December 1st at 91 years young and reunited with her beloved husband of 62 years, Bill Hadaway. Her daughter, Janet (John) Conner, and three sons, Glen (Tracie), Neal (Tisha) and Jonathan (Amy) Hadaway were there or had recently visited. She had one living sister, Anna Faye Hardin McGehee Brooks.
In Boone, North Carolina, Jo Ann was sixth of seven children born to Edgar Brown and Edna Satterwhite Hardin. She graduated from Appalachian Teachers College (now Appalachian State University) with a double major in English and Math in 1953 and began a successful career as a technical editor at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in Virginia.
Jo Ann met William “Bill” Hadaway, also at NACA in 1954 and they were married on April 28, 1956. They were transferred to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL and became dedicated members of First Baptist Church where they served for almost 70 years. She traded her career of only five years for full-time motherhood of four children.
Throughout the next 20 years, she stayed busy with several ministries in the church—Women’s Missionary Union (WMU), teaching Preschool, Jr. High, and Adult Sunday School, leading Acteens and Girls in Action (GAs), and assisting with children’s choir.
In the empty nest years, she was president of the Alabama Federation of Music Club (AFMC) for two years, member of duMidi Women’s Club Chorus, as well as member of FBC Sanctuary Choir, Hallelujah Choir (seniors) and the Living Christmas Tree choir for many years. In addition, she was in the Morning Literature Group, in Bible Studies, and had her own business with Lady Love beauty products containing aloe vera. Other interests were playing bridge, traveling, entertaining, researching genealogy, golfing, snow skiing, and visiting her 12 grandchildren: Austin (Sunny) Conner, Brooke (David) Shepherd and Caroline Conner: Leigh, Josie (Joey), Andrea, and Olivia Hadaway: Adrianna, Joshua and Nathan Hadaway: Luke and Hillary Hadaway and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at Laughlin Service Funeral Home on Thursday, December 7, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m., and on December 8, 2023, there will be a visitation held at First Baptist Church Chapel at 10 a.m. with a memorial service following at 11 a.m.
