JoAnn Ruth Carpenter

As of today, I have one her clocks. It is a majestic piece put together by her husband. It came to me with full directions on how to move it from her house to a new location complete with meticulous care instructions all put together by her husband. It's named Jo Ann's clock. It will run in my house in her memory. I never knew Jo Ann but as a fellow teacher I plan to keep her clock moving forward.

I have so many wonderful memories of JoAnn. My family was so fortunate that she was my children's counselor at Carroll High School. She took them under her wing and gave them the best of mother hen advice that was instrumental in their achieving in school and life. JoAnn helped me, their father, and neighbor Sherry Lynn keep them on track and got them outstanding scholarships. One became an Aggie; the other, a Longhorn. The Aggie became a lawyer; the Longhorn became an actuary before teaching math at Austin Community College. JoAnn was so knowledgable and had an outstanding sense of humor. She shared that sense of humor with some of us educators at an occasional happy hour way back in the 1970's and 1980's. She always had to leave first to get home because she said, I have to cook C. W. that chicken I have thawing on the drain board. Corpus Christi was so lucky to have JoAnn living her life among us. I am sure many of us have similar happy memories of and gratitude for JoAnn. I am so sorry that JoAnn's last year (or years) were so difficult for such a wonderful, giving lady.

My most heartfelt condolences to C. W. and their son,
Exie Bickham Hall

I met JoAnne when we served as docents at the Art Museum of South Texas, and I was impressed by her friendliness. We discovered we had some mutual friends in the field of art, and visits with her were always delightful. Now & then I would see her at the Athletic Club and we would catch up on our visits.

She was a person I was so pleased to know, and I, among many, will miss her presence in our community.