JoAnn Bowers was an extraordinary mother and grandmother who left us for her next journey on September 27th, 2023 at the age of 83. She passed away at St. Peter’s hospital in Olympia, WA, from complications of congestive heart failure and pneumonia.

JoAnn Johnson was born in Valdosta, GA on July 19th, 1940. She was the youngest of four siblings and was the only girl. She had three older brothers Jerry, Dennis, and surviving brother Jimmy. She liked to recount stories of times spent watching her mama dance in the kitchen with a mop, her brothers teasing her, and other various life events growing up in southern Georgia. She graduated from Cook High School, Adel, GA, in 1958.

JoAnn Johnson married Joseph Bowers in 1965. The marriage resulted in the birth of her only daughter, Leigh Anne, at Charleston Air Force Base in 1969. The family moved between states on the east coast for Joe’s work, before settling in Northern Virginia. In Northern Virginia JoAnn began working outside the home and exploring interests such as country western dancing, boating, and singing in the church choir.

After Leigh graduated high school in 1987, JoAnn moved to Beaufort, North Carolina. Here she began her career with the Episcopal beach retreat center, Trinity Center. JoAnn enjoyed her cozy little house on Chestnut Drive that backed up to the salt marsh. She eventually moved to nearby Cape Carteret, NC.

It was the Cape Carteret house that she sold before moving cross county to Olympia, WA, upon the impending birth of her sole grandson, Levon Jackson Archbold, in 2007. She then embarked on her new career of being grandma to Jack. She and Jack spent many hours together when he was a baby and a toddler, and she helped prepare him for his start in school. She was instrumental in supporting Jack and family with childcare during Jack’s elementary and middle school years. They often made cookies together and had fierce ongoing Wii tennis matches.

After moving to Olympia, JoAnn initially attended Westwood Baptist Church before becoming a long term member of New Bridge Community Church. JoAnn worked with many ministries that supported the community through New Bridge, including City Gates and the Orphan fund.

JoAnn loved being with people. She made many friends wherever she lived. Her friend group was deep and wide. She participated in several Bible Study groups, through her church in Olympia, and her prayer, alone and with these amazing people was extraordinary. As JoAnn began to have increased physical difficulties, these folks are and were an immense help to JoAnn and her family.

JoAnn loved to dance, listen to music, and sing. She loved being near the water, living near it most of her life. She loved adventure and trying new things. She loved her friends, and she was a wonderful friend to have as well. She loved her family, her daughter, son-in-law, and her grandson Jack. She loved the Lord and her faith was an amazing thing to witness and experience.

She is survived by many family members in the south Georgia and north Florida area, friends all over the globe, and her immediate family in Olympia WA.

JoAnn loved the Chronicles of Narnia and read it to two generations of family. Below is a quote from The Last Battle.

“And as he spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read; which goes on forever; in which every chapter is better than the one before.” C.S. Lewis

A Celebration of Life will be held at New Bridge Community Church on 10/22/23.

The family would like to thank the many generous people that helped them and JoAnn in the past year of her illness and the last few weeks surrounding her passing. Our hearts are full of thankfulness for your thoughtful caring and actions. It has helped tremendously.  

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