Mary Joan Wynne Mathews, age 71, of Atlanta/Dunwoody, Georgia, passed on November 1, 2020, at her home from the effects of her prolonged fight with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Joan was born in Chattanooga, Tenn. on July 11, 1949. Her parents were Mary McQuown Wynne and Robert Francis Wynne III. She grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Pompano Beach, Florida and Tucker, Georgia for her high school years. With the help of scholarships and loans, she graduated from the University of Florida in 1971 with a Bachelor of Physical Therapy, which was her chosen profession from as early as high school. Joanie, as Bob, her husband, and many of her friends called her, attended the University of North Georgia for two years prior to UF where she met Bob, whom she always called Robert.
After her graduation, Joanie was hired as a Physical Therapist at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial’s PT clinic and served there until February 1973 when she and Bob married and returned to his active duty station in the US Army at the Special Weapons Depot, Kriegsfeld, West Germany, during the midst of the cold war. Joanie and Bob traveled throughout Western Europe and made wonderful life-long friends through that Army experience. Those friends, the Lanes and Bartolaccis, have been there for Joanie and Bob during the many years following and during the fight with this disease.
With Bob’s reassignment to Fort Meade, Maryland in 1974, they lived on post, but Joanie quickly chose a job at the newly formed and innovative Shock Trauma Unit at the University of Maryland Hospital in Downtown Baltimore. There Joanie worked with critically ill trauma patients and was a specialist in chest trauma. In 1977 Joanie and Bob moved to New Jersey as Bob had finished his Army duty and took a job in NYC. In New Jersey, Joanie worked for St. Barnabas Medical Center in the Cancer unit and treated patients requiring PT services. Joanie worked for St. Barnabas full- time until the birth of their first son, Robert David (Dave) in 1980.
From then on, even in between a move to Atlanta and the birth of two more sons, John Wynne (John) and William Jordan (Will), Joanie continued part-time in PT working with traumatically brain injured adults and special needs children. She culminated her career with retirement from the Cobb County School System after 22 years of full- and part-time assignments with special needs children. She was often heartbroken over the many children and families who dealt with terribly involved and life-threatening conditions. She was also routinely encouraged by the progress of her kids as they fought to attain a level of freedom and independence. She was a true professional who always put the children first and treated them with great compassion and care.
Joanie loved her work and her special relationships with the kids and their families and her co-workers. Joanie’s co-workers, Patti Aasen, Martha Barrios Mead, Kitty Beard and their families were so dear to her and Bob and they had so many wonderful experiences and vacations together over the many years of their friendship. Joanie and Kitty tackled their desire for a Master of Education at Kennesaw State University and graduated in July 2007. There was never a dull moment as they fought their way through the courses and the computer in the 21st century.
Joanie was a “joiner”. She was an active member of the Junior League of Summit, New Jersey, the Junior League of Dekalb County and in her last years she loved the Assistance League of Atlanta and served as corresponding secretary. She served is various leadership roles in non-profit and community organizations including Co-President of the Austin Elementary PTA, Co-President of the Dunwoody Gridiron and Diamond Clubs for multiple years. She was swim team mom for the Branches pool for many years and active as team mom on many Murphy Candler Little League baseball teams. She was always one of the first to volunteer for anything she thought needed to be done for children and the community. She also had no problem volunteering Bob for coaching or handling community organization assignments.
Joanie and the family have been members of the Dunwoody United Methodist Church for over 35 years. Joanie co-led the nursery on Sunday, taught Sunday School to the little ones and was involved in the Acolyte and other ministries including Holiday Festival. Joanie loved the Lord, and she epitomized her love of Christ in her generosity, care and sacrifice for her family and anyone who was blessed to have known her. She is at peace with Him now.
After Joan retired from Cobb County Schools, she had hoped to be “Nonnie”, an active grandmother to her grandchildren Riley, Millicent, and anticipated future little ones who soon arrived: George followed by Caroline. She had dreamed and planned for that time with them and though it was cut short and her physical involvement was interrupted, she was always overjoyed by their presence and energy. She loved them dearly.
In 2014, the family noticed some issues with Joanie’s balance and executive function. After multiple trips to specialists and many tests, the answers were not clear. Then in February 2015, Joanie had a horrific fall in Savannah, Ga while on a friends and family vacation. After barely surviving the trauma and subsequent rehab, she was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) in June of 2015. PSP is an atypical form of Parkinson’s and is most closely aligned in its impact and progressiveness to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), which is also an atypical form of Parkinson’s. There was and is no cure, but only therapeutics to try to slow down its progression. The fight she showed during this period demonstrated her character and resolve because, as a Physical Therapist she understood the difficulties and the ultimate outcome. There was never an “Oh woe is me” response from her. She never complained. She persevered. For as long as she could, pre-COVID-19, she traveled and visited grandchildren and friends and we are thankful for that time.
We can never adequately repay the many people from the DUMC Faith Focus Sunday School Class who were so thoughtful with their prayers and gifts of meals, as well as the many caregivers who weekly stepped in to assist: Carol Wolf, Joanie’s 50 year friend and fellow PT who treated Joanie every week to keep her moving; Dale Morine, also a fellow PT, who took Joanie in the pool for exercise weekly; Diane Morgan, a 35+ year friend who was our Wednesday night Angel with a meal and a visit; Joanie and Bob’s siblings Robert, Millie and Elaine who routinely loved on her; and especially Leslie Liverpool, Joanie’s daytime caregiver for almost 3 years, who loved and cared for her and kept her happy, engaged and busy. Also, the family wants to thank Dr. Stewart Factor of Emory Neurology/Movement Disorder Clinic and to Dr. William Gower and his nurse Sue McKibben for their care and compassion over this journey.
Joanie’s parents and her brother Michael Wynne preceded her in death. Joanie is survived by her husband of almost 48 years Robert (Bob), her sons David, John and Will and daughter-in-law Sarah Quist Mathews, and step-granddaughter Riley Niemeyer and grandchildren Millicent (Dave), George and Caroline (Will & Sarah) and her brother and sister-in-law Robert and Margie Wynne, and brother-in-law and sisters-in-laws John and Millicent Moreland and Elaine Ralston as well as many beloved nieces and nephews from her ever-expanding family.
A Celebration of Joanie’s Life will be at 11:00am on Saturday November 14, 2020 in the Sanctuary of Dunwoody United Methodist Church in Dunwoody, Georgia. In-person attendance will be limited to family and a few friends. All are invited to attend via on-line using the following URL: https://livestream.com/dunwoodyumc/events/9384178 or go to the church website at Dunwoodyumc.org.
In lieu of flowers, donations will be appreciated for the Joan Wynne Mathews Scholarship at the College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, online at http://www.uff.ufl.edu/020569 or to Emory Brain Health 1762 Clifton Road, Suite1400, Atlanta, Ga. 30322 or to the Martha Barrios Meade Scholarship Fund at Los Ninos Primero: www.losninosprimeroga.org
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