JoAnn Dailey, affectionately called “Mama” by all family and friends, lived an exemplary life. One of two children of the late Mr. and Mrs. James William Hodges, she was born on November 26, 1938, in Birmingham, AL.
She attended Jones Valley High School and after graduating high school in 1956, she attended Birmingham Southern College followed by UAB where she received her Master’s in Elementary Education. She taught second grade for 20 years at various schools in Birmingham with her longest time being spent at Cahaba Heights Elementary School.
Her love of the lake and outdoors led her to settle in Alexander City on Lake Martin followed by 15 years on Lake Guntersville to be closer to her beloved grandchildren. She recently moved to Huntsville, AL in 2018.
She had a passion for children, her church, and local community and it was evident through her volunteer work as a receptionist at First United Methodist Church in Guntersville, tutoring children at Claysville Elementary School, stocking shelves at Salvation Army, and teaching Sunday school and vacation Bible school for many years. She was the most spirited fan of all Auburn University sports teams, especially the Tiger Paw dance team of which her granddaughter was a member.
She is survived by her only child, Rhonda Lynn Dailey; two adoring grandchildren, JoAnna Dailey Damson (Kohler) and William Self Propst III (Ansley); and three great-grandchildren, Kohler Rhett Damson, Philip Reynolds Damson, and William Self Propst IV. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were her greatest joys in life. She is also survived by her only sibling, Carolyn Hodges Millican (Bill).
The family would like to give a special thank you to LaTonya Lanier for being a wonderful friend and caregiver, and the Amedisys hospice team.
There will be a private family graveside service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Amedisys Foundation (https://www.amedisys.com/).
