Joanne
Joanne Williams Curling
"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." We rejoice with Joanne Williams Curling as she transitioned from her old worn out earthly body into her new heavenly body on Thursday afternoon, May 3, 2012.
Joanne was born on September 26, 1930 to Mary Alberta Price Williams and Roosevelt Pete Williams. She was born and raised in the small southwestern Virginia town of Newport, in Giles County. Joanne loved her hometown and as she would return to the county with its beautiful mountains and scenery she would always remark, "This is God's country." Her life was molded and shaped by her relatives and friends in this area and no one was dearer to her than Phyllis Miller. It was at the Newport United Methodist Church that Joanne accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and began her life long journey of faith.
Joanne graduated from Pembroke High School and went on to Radford College where she majored in Elementary Education. She loved her years at college and was active in many organizations. It was at Radford that she made many lifelong friends. Two of those lifelong friends were Winnie Cash from Madison Heights and Rexene Spraker from Galax. Joanne graduated from Radford in May of 1951. She was proud to have her oldest grandson, Jeremy, also graduate from Radford fifty years later in 2001.
It was while Joanne was at Radford that she met a Virginia Tech young man by the name of Jim Curling. It was a match that almost did not happen because according to Jim, he asked Joanne out on a date five times before she accepted. Joanne said that she liked Jim but she was just too busy to go on a date. However, the fifth time worked and they were married on July 19, 1952.
They began their marriage living in Franklin and Holland, Virginia. They lived one year in Limerick, Maine. Eventually, they came to Lynchburg, Virginia when Jim accepted a job with General Electric. It was in Lynchburg where Jim and Joanne would raise their children and live out the rest of their lives.
Central in everything that Jim and Joanne did was their faith in God and their desire to live their life based on the teachings of Jesus. Soon after moving to Lynchburg, Jim and Joanne became members of Euclid Christian Church where they were active members for many years. They were blessed with many wonderful friendships. Eventually, they moved their membership to Covenant Presbyterian Church in Vista Acres. Covenant became their second family and again they were blessed with wonderful friendships that continue now into eternity.
Professionally, Joanne was a school teacher and she spent her last fifteen years teaching at Leesville Road Elementary School in Campbell County. She loved teaching and especially, in later years, enjoyed running into former students and hearing about their lives.
Joanne was a woman of varied interests. She was a Sunday School teacher for many years. She taught children and adults and was known for her well researched and thorough lessons. She was a Girl Scout Leader, a member of the local Learning Disabilities group, a member of the Vista Acres garden Club, the Windy Knoll. She worked tirelessly in many capacities at Covenant Presbyterian Church.
On a more personal note, Joanne was a woman with a grateful and appreciative heart. She was the master of the thank you note. If you did anything for her, you would receive a thank you note from her. And she meant every word too!!
Joanne was also a wonderful caregiver. She took great care of her mother in her home and at the nursing home. When Jim's health deteriorated, she lovingly took care of him. She was always about taking care of everyone else's needs before her own.
She was a lover of children and animals and nothing upset her more than to hear that a child or animal had been mistreated or abused. She loved nature and was always pointing out birds, flowers, trees, sunsets, etc. She even said that she would have loved to be a forest ranger. She loved her many girlfriends and enjoyed a visit or a phone call (especially in the last few months.)
Joanne had a wonderful life that was filled with faith, family and friends. Joanne and her beautiful smile will be greatly missed by her family and devoted friends
Joanne was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Jim Curling, her brother and his wife, Billy and Clarice Williams, and her nephew Joe Williams.
Joanne leaves behind her daughter Sharon Bryant and husband, Gerald; her daughter Susan Metz and her son David Curling and wife Tammy. She also leaves behind the much loved and adored grandchildren who are Jeremy Bryant and wife Ursula, Jason Bryant and wife Ashley, Jonathan Bryant and wife Britt, Daniel Curling and wife Jessica, Andrew Curling and fiancée Bethany Robertson, Benjamin Curling, Lauren Metz and Mandy Metz. Joanne also leaves behind five great-grandchildren who were the "apple of her eye." They are Emerson and Silas Bryant, Kinzleigh and Kaiden Bryant and Brayden Curling.
Also leaving to mourn her loss are her sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Elmer Walters, a sister-in-law Betty Curling, her niece Brenda Lynn Williams and her nephew, Gene Williams.
The family would like to say thank you to the numerous people who took such great care of our mother during the last couple of years. Thank you to Margie Anderson and the Covenant Presbyterian congregation. Your visits, cards, phone calls meant so much to our mother and also to us. You were her family in every sense of the word!! Thank you to Timberlake Family Practice and especially Dr. Pam Caulkins. Dr. Pam, you lovingly took the time to listen to our mother, to give her hugs, and to help her during these last difficult months. Thank you Runk and Pratt (Leesville Road) for taking such loving and sweet care of our mother, you were there when we could not be there and for that we are forever grateful. Goldie Archer, you were like another daughter to our mother. She loved you dearly and we thank you for all of the wonderful care that you took of her.
And, finally we thank God for Joanne Williams Curling and the loving influence that she had on so many people!!
The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 09, 2012 at Covenant Presbyterian Church. A celebration of Joanne's life will follow at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 09, 2012 at Covenant Presbyterian Church with Rev. Margie Anderson officiating.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 108 Melinda Drive, Lynchburg, VA, 24502; or Habitat for Humanity, 360 Allegany Ave, Lynchburg, VA, 24501, or Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 1388, Lynchburg, VA, 24505.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg is assisting the family.
Joanne was born on September 26, 1930 to Mary Alberta Price Williams and Roosevelt Pete Williams. She was born and raised in the small southwestern Virginia town of Newport, in Giles County. Joanne loved her hometown and as she would return to the county with its beautiful mountains and scenery she would always remark, "This is God's country." Her life was molded and shaped by her relatives and friends in this area and no one was dearer to her than Phyllis Miller. It was at the Newport United Methodist Church that Joanne accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and began her life long journey of faith.
Joanne graduated from Pembroke High School and went on to Radford College where she majored in Elementary Education. She loved her years at college and was active in many organizations. It was at Radford that she made many lifelong friends. Two of those lifelong friends were Winnie Cash from Madison Heights and Rexene Spraker from Galax. Joanne graduated from Radford in May of 1951. She was proud to have her oldest grandson, Jeremy, also graduate from Radford fifty years later in 2001.
It was while Joanne was at Radford that she met a Virginia Tech young man by the name of Jim Curling. It was a match that almost did not happen because according to Jim, he asked Joanne out on a date five times before she accepted. Joanne said that she liked Jim but she was just too busy to go on a date. However, the fifth time worked and they were married on July 19, 1952.
They began their marriage living in Franklin and Holland, Virginia. They lived one year in Limerick, Maine. Eventually, they came to Lynchburg, Virginia when Jim accepted a job with General Electric. It was in Lynchburg where Jim and Joanne would raise their children and live out the rest of their lives.
Central in everything that Jim and Joanne did was their faith in God and their desire to live their life based on the teachings of Jesus. Soon after moving to Lynchburg, Jim and Joanne became members of Euclid Christian Church where they were active members for many years. They were blessed with many wonderful friendships. Eventually, they moved their membership to Covenant Presbyterian Church in Vista Acres. Covenant became their second family and again they were blessed with wonderful friendships that continue now into eternity.
Professionally, Joanne was a school teacher and she spent her last fifteen years teaching at Leesville Road Elementary School in Campbell County. She loved teaching and especially, in later years, enjoyed running into former students and hearing about their lives.
Joanne was a woman of varied interests. She was a Sunday School teacher for many years. She taught children and adults and was known for her well researched and thorough lessons. She was a Girl Scout Leader, a member of the local Learning Disabilities group, a member of the Vista Acres garden Club, the Windy Knoll. She worked tirelessly in many capacities at Covenant Presbyterian Church.
On a more personal note, Joanne was a woman with a grateful and appreciative heart. She was the master of the thank you note. If you did anything for her, you would receive a thank you note from her. And she meant every word too!!
Joanne was also a wonderful caregiver. She took great care of her mother in her home and at the nursing home. When Jim's health deteriorated, she lovingly took care of him. She was always about taking care of everyone else's needs before her own.
She was a lover of children and animals and nothing upset her more than to hear that a child or animal had been mistreated or abused. She loved nature and was always pointing out birds, flowers, trees, sunsets, etc. She even said that she would have loved to be a forest ranger. She loved her many girlfriends and enjoyed a visit or a phone call (especially in the last few months.)
Joanne had a wonderful life that was filled with faith, family and friends. Joanne and her beautiful smile will be greatly missed by her family and devoted friends
Joanne was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Jim Curling, her brother and his wife, Billy and Clarice Williams, and her nephew Joe Williams.
Joanne leaves behind her daughter Sharon Bryant and husband, Gerald; her daughter Susan Metz and her son David Curling and wife Tammy. She also leaves behind the much loved and adored grandchildren who are Jeremy Bryant and wife Ursula, Jason Bryant and wife Ashley, Jonathan Bryant and wife Britt, Daniel Curling and wife Jessica, Andrew Curling and fiancée Bethany Robertson, Benjamin Curling, Lauren Metz and Mandy Metz. Joanne also leaves behind five great-grandchildren who were the "apple of her eye." They are Emerson and Silas Bryant, Kinzleigh and Kaiden Bryant and Brayden Curling.
Also leaving to mourn her loss are her sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Elmer Walters, a sister-in-law Betty Curling, her niece Brenda Lynn Williams and her nephew, Gene Williams.
The family would like to say thank you to the numerous people who took such great care of our mother during the last couple of years. Thank you to Margie Anderson and the Covenant Presbyterian congregation. Your visits, cards, phone calls meant so much to our mother and also to us. You were her family in every sense of the word!! Thank you to Timberlake Family Practice and especially Dr. Pam Caulkins. Dr. Pam, you lovingly took the time to listen to our mother, to give her hugs, and to help her during these last difficult months. Thank you Runk and Pratt (Leesville Road) for taking such loving and sweet care of our mother, you were there when we could not be there and for that we are forever grateful. Goldie Archer, you were like another daughter to our mother. She loved you dearly and we thank you for all of the wonderful care that you took of her.
And, finally we thank God for Joanne Williams Curling and the loving influence that she had on so many people!!
The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 09, 2012 at Covenant Presbyterian Church. A celebration of Joanne's life will follow at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 09, 2012 at Covenant Presbyterian Church with Rev. Margie Anderson officiating.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 108 Melinda Drive, Lynchburg, VA, 24502; or Habitat for Humanity, 360 Allegany Ave, Lynchburg, VA, 24501, or Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 1388, Lynchburg, VA, 24505.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg is assisting the family.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Joanne Williams Curling, please visit our flower store.
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