Joanne is preceded in death by her parents Leon & Martha Gordon; sisters Emily Tyler Burge and Barbara “Betsy” Elizabeth Gordon.
Joanne was a native of Linden, Alabama and a member of Linden High School Class of l962. She proudly
participated in Beta Club, 4-H, and was selected to represent her school at Girls State. Although she never claimed to be much of an athlete, she was a cheerleader for the Linden Red Devils.
After graduation, Joanne attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama where she majored in Home Economics. During her time at Huntingdon, while working in the cafeteria, she met her future husband, Bill Beard.
Joanne and Bill were married on June 20th, 1965. They moved to Madison, Alabama where she began her teaching career as a 5th grade teacher at Madison Elementary School. After her first year of teaching, they relocated to Tuscaloosa so Joanne could complete her Bachelors of Science in Home Economics at the University of Alabama. She completed her degree in 1967, and began teaching Home Economics at Muscle Shoals City High School. In 1970, Bill and Joanne moved to Scottsboro, Alabama. She took a year off from teaching to start their family and enjoy motherhood. In 1971, she resumed her career at Section High School teaching 4th, 5th, and 8th grades for three years.
In 1974, after the birth of their second child, Joanne began her career as a Home Economics teacher at Scottsboro High School. During her tenure at SHS, she was recognized at state and national levels. She was a co-creator for a widely recognized for Alabama’s 1985 Outstanding Vocational Program called “Changes and Choice”, that provided education and support for students with children. Joanne received the University of Alabama Alumni Award for the College of Human Environmental Sciences. She was the 1992 Alabama Home Economics Teacher of the Year, and was recognized as one of the Top 10 Home Economics teachers on a national level. She taught at SHS for nineteen years and retired from Alabama in 1994. She finished her career in education at Dade Middle School in Trenton, Georgia where she taught Family and Consumer Science for 10 years to 7th and 8th graders. She retired from teaching in 2005 to begin her next career as a goat farmer/grandmother.
As a goat farmer, she liked spring time the best because everything was fresh and new, along with all the new babies on the farm. Her grandchildren can attest to the wonderful skills that only their Jamma could take to task, such as mending anything broken from toys and trinkets to hemming prom dresses and plumbing repairs. Jamma prepared afterschool snacks fit for a queen, and would make spaghetti upon request for any meal. She taught them songs and read stories, washed their feet, and painted their toenails, and could doctor any boo-boo.
In her retirement, Joanne was also a vacation planner extraordinaire. She, along with the help of AAA, mapped out many adventures for family and friends. There were trips to see all the sights out West and up the east coast to New England, along with visits to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Canada for our family. Joanne planned trips to the North, South, and Western states, Chicago, and Alaska. She and Bill cruised the Caribbean, toured Europe, and spent time with Natasa’s family in Montenegro. They visited every state, except North Dakota and Hawaii.
The family will receive friends at Scottsboro Funeral Home on Saturday, June 8th from 3pm to 5 pm (CST) followed by a memorial service in the funeral home chapel at 5 pm.
The Beard Family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made in memory of Joanne G. Beard to the Beauty and the Beast Fund, 131 E. Laurel Street, Scottsboro, AL 35768.
Arrangements Entrusted to Scottsboro Funeral Home
