JoAnne (Duncan) Reed

On September 14, 2017, JoAnne Duncan Reed slipped peacefully into the rest of the Lord while surrounded by her loving family. Born June 9, 1942, her life was characterized by beauty, talent, and sweet affection. She was devoted to giving everything she had to those she loved, and thus she was deeply loved by all who knew her.

JoAnne was raised in Springville, Utah. Though ever gentle and soft-spoken, she was still vivacious and became very popular among her high school class. She dedicated her talents to her classmates, creating posters for events and working as editor of the yearbook, along with leading the student body as a cheerleader at games. She loved her community, and even now she is well-remembered throughout the city.

After graduating, JoAnne began her college education at Utah State University. Her grace and beauty caught the eye of a fellow student in her history class, and he was quick to ask her out. For a whirlwind few weeks, they spent nearly all of their time together; and when JoAnne decided to move back to Springville and transfer to Brigham Young University, this young man followed her. His name was Alan Reed, and just a few years later – on September 10, 1964 – they were married in the Salt Lake Temple.

The couple had four children together, and JoAnne dedicated all of her time to them for several years. She created a beautiful home for their family, and while she raised the children she was occasionally commissioned to complete various art projects – both a therapeutic joy to her, and a way to bring in a little extra money for her household. When the children were grown, JoAnne took advantage of the Associates Degree she had obtained in Business Management and went to work at Utah Valley State College. She was exceptional at her job, and by the end of her fifteen years there she was the Administrative Assistant to the President of the college, Kerry Romesburg, who found her immensely valuable. She respected him a great deal, and she treasured the time she spent at UVSC.

Along with artwork, JoAnne had a couple of other notable passions during her life. The first was walking – during the good times and the bad, she found that going for a walk always lifted her spirits. She must have walked every single inch of Springville, and a good portion of the neighboring towns as well; just another way that she connected with her community and felt rejuvenated by it. Her other love was Elvis Presley. JoAnne thought Elvis might be one of the most perfect people who ever lived, and for evidence you only needed to look at the decorations on her refrigerator or the t-shirts on her grandchildren. She listened to his music, watched his movies, and visited Graceland on more than one occasion. All of this, of course, she shared with her family, and so it is no surprise that many of her descendants also have fond feelings for the King.

Family was always JoAnne’s paramount passion. She never ceased to rejoice in her children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments. To her view, they were all pristine examples of excellence, and she was prouder of them than of anything else in her life. She showered them with gifts and attention, and she loved nothing more than gathering the family together in her home – whether it was Christmas or just another Sunday dinner. She gave them everything she had, right up to the end. She will ever remain tenderly in all of our hearts.

JoAnne is preceded in death by her parents, Josephine Mower and Thomas Duncan; her stepfather Richard Conover; her brother Bill; and her sisters Sally, Catherine, and an unnamed baby sister. She is survived by her husband Alan; her brothers Kerry and Jim; her stepsister Carol; her children Ryan (Kay) Reed, Rob (Roni) Reed, Robin (Bill) Grosland, and Chris (Sarah) Reed; nineteen grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

A viewing for JoAnne will be held at Wheeler Mortuary in Springville on Sunday night, September 17, from 6:00-8:00pm.  In lieu of a funeral, there will be a graveside service on Monday, September 18, at 10:00am at the Evergreen Cemetery.