JoAnn Cloud Dyer

A native Orlandoan, JoAnn was born on October 9, 1928 to Mabel and Holman Cloud. Paradoxically describing herself as a “sociable bookworm,” JoAnn started her own lending library in her youth. She later graduated from Orlando High School in 1946 where she enjoyed speech and debate. JoAnn earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Florida State College for Women in 1950 and went on to teach high school English and Public Speaking. Throughout her life, she was a go-to resource for any kind of grammar question and loved to assist in writing speeches.

In 1953, JoAnn married Bill Dyer, the literal “boy next door” in her College Park neighborhood. She was active in her community with the Rosalind Club, Junior League of Orlando, Country Club of Orlando, and numerous PTA organizations at Lake Silver Elementary, Robert E. Lee Junior High, and Edgewater High School. She lovingly supported her husband’s many years of coaching at Princeton Little League by regularly serving in the concession stand. Her greatest joy was teaching second grade Sunday School for twenty years alongside her mother, Mabel Ammerman Cloud. JoAnn possessed the gift of encouragement, and many have been touched by her heart-warming, hand-written notes for every conceivable occasion. Her correspondence was a treasure trove of news, cheer, and inspiration in her familiar scrawl – always with words and phrases of exhortation underlined for emphasis and in color expressing her love.

JoAnn and Bill were blessed with a large family, leaving a legacy of all her children and grandchildren walking in faith with the Lord. She is survived by her four children: Barbee Dyer, Doug (Carroll) Dyer, Nancy Cohen, and Diane (Jennings) Rou. She has six beloved grandchildren: Katherine (Gray) Clevenger, Kelly (Austin) Zorn, William Cohen, Douglas (Lili) Cohen, Daniel (Lexi) Cohen, and Matthew Rou. Finally, the icing on the cake are her four great-grandsons: Winn and Lee Clevenger and Behr and Archer Zorn. JoAnn was also a devoted aunt to many wonderful nieces and nephews in the Dyer, Westbrook, and Cloud families, thoroughly enjoying family reunions and time spent at the Beach. She made time for everyone and always had a lap available to read a book with dramatic flair and enthusiasm. JoAnn was a born storyteller and will be remembered for her theatrical renditions of Star Baby and The Night Before Christmas.

JoAnn is preceded in death by the love of her life, William Barbee Dyer, her brother, Jerry Douglas Cloud, and her parents, Holman and Mabel Cloud. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations that were near and dear to JoAnn’s love of her grandchildren: The First Academy Athletics (2667 Bruton Blvd. Orlando, FL 32805), Circle Christian School (2134 Kentucky Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789), or Reach Out and Read (https://www.reachoutandread.org/donate/).

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service for JoAnn Dyer is being planned for a later date. Please reach out to DyerCelebrationofLife@gmail.com and provide your contact information if you would like to be notified of the timing of this service, which will feature options for attendance with social distancing or live-streaming for those who cannot be present.

“A woman of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

Prov 31:10, 28-31.