JoAnn Longwell of La Cañada Flintridge passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 26, 2022 with family at her side.
She was in Huntington Hospital where she succumbed to congestive heart failure and pneumonia.
She was born in November 1945, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Lloyd and Geneva (Shepherd) Kelley. She moved with her family to Bell Gardens, California, at a young age. She attended schools there and graduated from Bell Gardens High School.
She attended San Jose State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Cal State Los Angeles.
After graduation, she worked as an elementary school teacher and later in the electronics business. In 1983, JoAnn went to work at the Walt Disney Company in the corporate credit department. She was promoted to be a credit manager with responsibility for credit and collections for the Theme Parks and Resorts.
JoAnn loved working at Walt Disney and she loved all things Disney! She was their biggest fan!
While working at Disney, JoAnn met her husband Dick, who also worked there at the time.
They were married in Granada Hills, California, on December 27, 1986. They lived in Northridge until 2003 when they moved to La Cañada.
JoAnn retired from Walt Disney in 2003 to be a full-time Mom for their son, Nathan. She loved being a mom and attending Nathan’s sporting events and school activities.
JoAnn was a kind, gentle, and caring person to her family, friends and all who knew her. She was always outgoing with her warm smile. She thoroughly enjoyed her book club get togethers, meals with her girlfriends, and traveling the United States and Europe with her family. She loved Christmas, giving gifts and making people happy! JoAnn also loved watching and attending sporting events for the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers. She acquired her taste
for these from her husband Dick.
JoAnn loved her family dearly! Survivors are her husband Dick; their son Nathan of La Cañada; a sister, Lois (Sam) Elfgen of Mesa, Arizona; a sister, Joyce Bantau of Victorville, California; a sister-in-law, Barbara Longwell of Galesville, Wisconsin; and nieces, nephews and many cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother-in-law Rob (Barbara) Longwell, and a brother-in-law Melvin (Joyce) Bantau.
At JoAnn’s request, no services will be held.
If you would like to make a memorial donation in her name, please do so with her favorite charities, the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.
