JoAnn Hill Lies

JoAnn Hill Lies was born on September 3rd, 1953 to Willie G. Hill and Frankie Andrews Hill in the Bronx, NY. She was the youngest of three children. JoAnn had one brother, Willie G. Jr. and one sister, Yvonne D. She was educated in the New York City Schools in the Bronx, and then in Queens where the family moved to in 1962. JoAnn graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1971 and attended Hunter College, Bellevue School of Nursing.

JoAnn had her first child, Anthony in 1970. She was an excellent new mother and still continued with her studies. In 1975 JoAnn married Benjamin Lies Jr. and they had one child, a daughter, Shanay. She would then become a mother of three in 1994, welcoming her daughter Ariana with her partner Clarence.

JoAnn worked for the State of New York as a Disability Analyst for many years until she had to retire because of health reasons. She was a member of and sang in the choir at St. Gertrude’s Church for several years until she moved from the Rockaways.

JoAnn was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2002. It was a hard diagnosis to accept but JoAnn and her family were relived to finally have answers. Although MS was incredibly debilitating, she wouldn’t add the word “disabled” to her vocabulary. JoAnn continued to be active and independent for very many years after her diagnosis. She was very active in the MS community, attending seminars, group meetings, day programs and would even volunteer at the MS walk to help raise money and awareness.

JoAnn loved to travel and see new places. She traveled to many different states and countries before she was diagnosed. She vowed to travel when she retired and that’s exactly what she did. JoAnn never let her MS slow her down. She would attend many cruises hosted by the MS Society. Her most memorable vacation was when she went to Hawaii with her sister, Yvonne and youngest daughter, Ariana.

JoAnn departed this life on September 28, 2022. Her father, mother, brother and longtime partner Clarence Stuart preceded her in death. She leaves to mourn her passing one son, Anthony C. Hill, two daughters, Shanay AllenLies and Ariana Stuart, one sister Yvonne Thomas, one brother in law William M. Thomas Jr., two daughter in laws, Nina Hill and Michelle Allen Lies, nine grandchildren, six nieces and nephews and a host of relatives and friends.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.frederick-fh.com for the Lies family.