JoAn (Howland) Barnett, age 85, of Costa Mesa, passed away on August 19, 2019. She was born March 24, 1934 in Detroit, Texas to Clarence Vivian and Sabona Belle Ham Howland. JoAn grew up in Clarksville, Texas. Upon graduating high school, JoAn attended Southern Methodist University attaining a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Journalism. While at SMU, she was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. After college, she worked at Nieman Marcus in Dallas. In 1956, JoAn embarked upon a career with TWA as a stewardess where she worked until 1958 when she met and married Ronald Barnett, a dashing TWA flight engineer with a 1957 Ford Thunderbird. These three would stay together for the next 62 years. After marriage, JoAn settled into married life and raised their son and daughter. When her children were grown, JoAn worked as a Travel Coordinator at Maritz Travel for 24 years.
Throughout her life, she was very active in philanthropic endeavors. She was instrumental in starting the Orange County chapter of Clipped Wings and also served with the TWA Clipped Wings International. She was also instrumental in starting the YMCA Indian Maidens in Orange County where she was known as Big Namid. JoAn was a tireless volunteer with Newport Harbor Area Alumnae Panhellenic working to provide scholarships for young ladies. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Col. William Cabell Chapter. She was a volunteer at the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa and a member of the Camelot Chapter of Newport Harbor. She loved to play bridge and was a member of three different bridge groups playing on a monthly basis.
Her children, Paula and Greg, describe her as a beautiful, gracious, classy, loving mom who sang a lot. She had a very melodic and comforting voice. She played piano and read lots of books. Greg remembers all the trips they took together, in particular back to the homestead in Texas and the Ireland trip. Paula remembers the trips, as well, but the emphasis with her mom was about horses – they both loved their horses!
JoAn is preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Jacqueleen Joy Gamble, and her brother, C.V. (Buddy) Howland, Jr. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Ron; her son, Gregory (Liz) Barnett; her daughter Paula (Steve) Sankey; grandsons Sean, Ryan and Kyle Barnett and granddaughters Nicole and Lauren Sankey.
“Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories”.
Please join us for a Celebration of Life on October 5, 2019 at 10:30 am at the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church located at 1701 Baker Street, Costa Mesa, CA.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that guests consider a donation to the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church in memory of JoAn.
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