Jo Ann Holder

Jo Ann Holder, 75, passed away January 27th, 2023, at her home in Hoover, Alabama.
Jo Ann was born November 10th, 1947 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, to parents Joe Martin, Jr. and Hazel Alois Martin (ne'e Hough). She was a graduate of Northside High School (Fort Smith), and of Westark Community College. At Northside High she was involved in stage design for the theater program, and in 1966, as a 19-year-old student at Westark, she was crowned Miss Fort Smith.
Jo Ann showed a proclivity for the arts throughout her life, engaging in crafting, piano playing, and painting of portraits and still life. She was known to play songs on the piano by ear, and sold some of her original paintings in the art gallery she owned with her husband. She was also an avid collector and seller of antiques, some of which she sold along with her craft designs.
Personally, Jo Ann was known by friends and family for her kindness, warmth, and especially, for her sense of humor. She was a loyal friend, wife, and mother who throughout her life put others' needs above her own.
Jo Ann and her husband, Robert, were members of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
She is survived by her husband; her two children, Matthew (Evelyn) and Nicholas Holder; and her grandchildren Miriam, Aziel, Talya, Menasheh, and Nekhemyah Holder.
Jo Ann was a beauty in every sense of the word. Her mark on her family was indelible, and she will be sorely missed.