JoAnn was born in Denver to Joe and Hannah Reynolds Sept. 8, 1943. She was the oldest of two daughters. JoAnn married the love of her life, Kenny Mendenhall. After Kenny passed away on August 1999, JoAnn was lucky to find love once again. She married Frank Walczak Feb. 2, 2002. She was once again widowed April 12, 2013.
JoAnn began focusing her life on being the main support of her mother, Hannah Reynolds, and her sister, Judy Reynolds. At this point the three were inseparable.
JoAnn lived and worked her entire adult life in Brighton. In 1964, she started working for the Adams County government and retired in March of 2002 as the executive director of retirement planning with 38 years of service. JoAnn lived at the same address on Central Avenue for more than 50 years while having a house in Florida to relax for retirement.
JoAnn wasn’t someone that was shy about attempting new things. She loved being on the water boating at Sterling, Boyd, and Jackson lakes. JoAnn was a member of Empire Reservoir. Activities JoAnn enjoyed were fishing, volleyball, softball and bowling in the leagues at Lucky Lanes for years. She also enjoyed riding snowmobiles in the dead of winter with all of her friends. JoAnn also participated in a Corvette Club and taking Bronco bus rides up to Central City.
JoAnn devoted countless hours with and for the Brighton Elks Lodge 1586. She was a pioneer in that she was the first female member and first woman exhaulted ruler in Brighton, while she laid the groundwork for many women to follow in the Brighton lodge.
Survivors include her sister, Judy Reynolds. JoAnn was never blessed with any children, but Jeff and Brad Ratliff always took great pride in knowing and loving that they had a second mom. JoAnn always spoke to Jeff and Brad as her own kids and trusted them with the responsibility to see her wishes be fulfilled till the very end.
Her first husband, Kenny Mendenhall; her second husband, Frank Walczak; her brother; her mother; and her mother and father, Joe and Hannah Reynolds, preceded her in death.
Visitation was Sept. 3 at Tabor-Rice funeral Home in Brighton, Funeral services were Sept. 4 at Brighton United Methodist Church. Interment followed at Elmwood Cemetery.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of JoAnn Walczak, visit www.taborfuneralhome.com/obituary/JoAnnWalczak/sympathy. Tabor-Rice Funeral Home handled the arrangements.