With the grace that defined her entire life, JoAnne Powell joined her beloved Charles in heaven on March 24, 2021. Born in Nashville, Arkansas on November 27, 1931 to Brooks and Iva Mae McAdams, JoAnne learned at a young age that honesty, hard work, personal ethics, and character were the values to live by and she did just that throughout her life. She grew up in Nashville with her childhood sweetheart Charles Powell, graduated from Southern Arkansas University, and married Charles in December 1954, six months after he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. From that moment on, wherever life took them, their lives were as one, until he left this world on July 2, 2020.  

JoAnne was a nomadic Air Force wife for over thirty years, finally settling in San Angelo with Charles’s final assignment at Goodfellow AFB. Once here, JoAnne began to work her magic on base and in the community. She revived the Goodfellow Officer’s Wives Club and started the Christmas Bazaar (now Santa’s Village). In 1984, she became the District Office manager and area staff aide to Congressman Tom Loeffler, and continued in that position serving three more members of Congress, Congressman Lamar Smith, Congressman Michael Conaway and Congressman August Pfluger. JoAnne took great joy in solving problems for the constituents throughout the district. For her it didn’t matter who they had voted for, what family they came from, how much education they had or what their jobs were. They were people with problems who needed her and she was always there to stand for them.  

JoAnne also stood for her community, working tirelessly for causes she believed were essential for others to thrive. She served on the boards of United Way, Red Cross, Angelo Civic Theatre, Concho Valley Partnership, Meals for the Elderly, Hope for the Holidays, Hospice of San Angelo and the Concho Valley Republican Women to name a few, and was a member of the Johnson Street Church of Christ supporting both its mission and its outreach. Her service brought her many honors, including being named one of the “Top Ten Republican Woman” by the Texas Federation of Women, “Woman of Distinction” by the Girl Scouts of Central Texas, and receiving the “Keeping the Flame of Hope Alive” Award from the United Way.  

Maya Angelou said “When someone shows you who they are, believe them,” and JoAnne Powell showed us who she was every day. She was love in action, a force of nature, full of compassion, humility, truth and service to each person she met. Her life reflected those core values learned long ago, a life filled with generosity, patience, guidance, wisdom, and most of all, an effort to always do good and make a difference in other people’s lives. 

She is survived by her daughter Teresa Anne McKinney and husband, Bryan of Flower Mound, two grandchildren Dr. Colin Bryan Powell McKinney of Crawfordsville, IN, and Caitlin Brooke McKinney Cannady and husband, Jeremy, of San Angelo, two nieces and a number of cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband and soulmate, Colonel Charles E. Powell, parents Brooks & Iva Mae McAdams, brother James Brooks (Jim) McAdams, and in-laws Alford Jackson Powell and Maggie Mae Powell Cowling.  

Visitation will be held at Harper Funeral Home on Monday, March 29th from 5-7 PM. Funeral services will be at 10AM on Tuesday, March 30th at Johnson Street Church of Christ and will also be live-streamed through Harper Funeral Home's facebook page. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Rust Street Ministries or a charity of your choice.

Visitation

Monday, March 29, 2021

5:00PM - 7:00PM

Harper Funeral Home
2606 Southland Boulevard 
San Angelo, TX 76904

Funeral Service

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

10:00AM

Johnson Street Church of Christ
2200 Johnson Avenue 
San Angelo, TX 76904

Final Resting Place

Fairmount Cemetery 
1120 W. Ave. N 
San Angelo, TX 76901