Joan Williams Jurney passed away peacefully on Jan. 27, 2022, a day after her 89th birthday.

Raised in the small Appomattox County town of Pamplin City, Joan was the only daughter of Howard and Carrie Williams. She was Valedictorian of Pamplin High School and was a member of the school's state basketball championship team. (One time in the late '80s, she sank a 10-foot hook shot on a neighbor's basketball court.) She later graduated from Longwood College.

Joan raised two girls and a boy all on her own which her kids found to be an absolutely impressive feat.

Joan was married to the late Joseph Franklin Jurney Sr. who died in 1972 in Winston-Salem, NC. After the passing of her beloved husband, she moved her family back to Danville where she started a quarter-century career teaching Home Economics at O.T. Bonner, Langston Jr. high schools, and George Washington High School.

In addition, for years she was the "hostess with the mostest" on weekends at Sir Richard's where she had fun with the crew that included Ricky, Denise, Sandy, Consuela among others.

One could say Joan was a bit of an educational celebrity as she rarely went out into public without running into former students who praised her for teaching them how to cook spaghetti or how to sew.

Joan enjoyed cooking especially for her children. She described herself as a "country cook" which meant plenty of butter was employed for a multitude of dishes. At one point in the 1990s, she introduced pepperonis as a topping for her lasagna. While delicious, the dish may have needed to receive a warning from the American Heart Association.

One thing Joan really excelled at in the kitchen was making gravy for family holiday dinners. It was an art form that will be imitated but never duplicated.

After her retirement from teaching in the late '90s, Joan took up painting which led to her home being festooned by various works of art involving flowers and vases. She also was very proud of her gardening skills. More recently, she became a fan of the "90 Day Fiance" TV franchise which she watched with her kids when they came to visit.

She also became a globetrotter after retirement visiting several countries in Europe including England, Ireland, France, Italy, and Greece, as well as, Okinawa in Asia.

She is survived by her 3 children: Kellie Cooley (Bob), Jessica Bennett (Chris), and Joseph "Boomer" Jurney (Joann). A fourth child, William Reeves Jurney, died during childbirth in 1969. She also leaves behind 3 grandchildren: Sandrine Bennett, Jett Jurney, and Shiloh Jurney. She also has two brothers, Bruce Williams (Susan) and Randy Williams, a sister-in-law, Carolyn, a nephew and two nieces.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by an older brother, Howard Williams Jr., and a sister-in-law, Suzy Williams.
Her children would like to thank their mom's neighbors for all they did for her over the years: Harold Brinkley, Kevin and Tonya Carter, Bill and Janet Hankins, and Joyce and Wayne Gaither.