Joan Womble

Joan (Park) Womble died peacefully in her new home, Edmond's Touchmark at Coffee Creek, on May 25, 2010. She was spared suffering the end stages of Alzheimer's leaving this earth as graciously as she lived her life after suffering a debilitating stroke. Joan was born November 10, 1924 in Kansas City, Missouri to Grace Maude and Ernest Everett Park. She lived briefly in Okmulgee before settling with her parents and older brother, James David, in Oklahoma City at the age of three. Joan attended the original Classen High School and graduated in 1942. After graduating, she attended Monticello Jr. College in Alton, Illinois for two years, where she excelled at choir and piano. In 1945, she enrolled at OU, earning her BA. Joan was active in the Chi Omega sorority at OU, and made may lifelong friends there. She worked for Standard Oil until meeting David Comstock Womble at a Sooner Ski Club meeting in January of 1962. They married in December of that year, and were soon raising Dave's four children, Bob, Diane, Tom and Steve. As a 37-year old bride, Joan always said she felt lucky to have Dave's kids and loved them as her own. Within a few years, she and Dave had two more daughters, Laura and Mary, to complete their family. Joan was the physical embodiment of love as characterized in I Corinthians 13:4-7. She rarely had an unkind word to say about anyone, always looking for and seeing the best in everyone she met. She and Dave were active members at Covenant Presbyterian Church, where Joan's beautiful soprano voice and love for music were shared through her involvement with the choir and handbells. Joan was also an active member of P.E.O. Joan was under the longtime care of Dr. S.A. Dean Drooby, whose wit and wisdom were a continued source of support and assistance for her. Joan was preceded in death by her husband, David C. Womble and older brother, James David Park, along with her parents. She is survived by six children: Bob Womble and wife Lynne of Oklahoma City, Diane (Womble) Palmisano and husband David of Edmond, Tom Womble and wife Carmen of Park City, UT, Steve Womble and wife Venita of Skiatook, OK, Laura (Womble) Vinyard and husband Ted of Edmond and Mary (Womble) Kell and husband Franklin of Tulsa, 10 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and her sister-in-law, Betty Park. She is also survived by her dear friend and caregiver of almost 10 years, Joetta Butler, whose gifts as a companion and friend were blessings to Joan and her family, as well as the many other residents at The Statesmen Club whose lives she touched. A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 28, at 2:00 p.m. at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 10100 Ridgeview Drive, Oklahoma City 73120. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Covenant Presbyterian Church, The Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org or your local humane society.