JoAnn Callaway

JoAnn Callaway had a big life filled with love and passion. In her own inimitable style, she made each person she spoke with feel as if they were the only person in her world at that moment. She was very easy to adore. She was born JoAnn Rashid, May 15, 1938, in Peoria, Illinois to Edward Rashid and Irene Bunning. JoAnn married in 1953 and gave birth to three sons and three daughters. She divorced in 1965. At age 32 on the night of October 9, 1970, she met Joseph Callaway. After an inseparable courtship of 86 days they were married in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 3, 1971, in the last ceremony to be performed by the Justice of the Peace in Clark County before Nevada opened a new marriage bureau, with new regulations, the next day. This was a special union. He rescued her, and she rescued him right back. Working together, never apart. They succeeded at the highest level in every endeavor due to JoAnn's incomparable magnetism. JoAnn and Joseph moved to Balboa Island, California; then Decatur, Illinois, where she managed Goods Furniture Store; then Clearwater, Florida, where she built Betsy Ross Sewing centers to a seven-store chain; then Las Vegas, Nevada, where she went to wager on baseball. She went 9 for 9 on her first card and the next day the Major League Baseball went on strike for the first time in history. Finally, in 1980, they arrived in Scottsdale, Arizona, where JoAnn was invited by the developer Westcor to open temporary Christmas stores in all their Arizona malls. She ultimately operated 53 stores in 30 states in the fourth quarter of 1989. After a short retirement in Florida, JoAnn returned to Scottsdale where she found her passion when she got her Residential Real Estate license in 1996. For the past 26 years she has been a leading Realtor in Arizona personally touching the lives of thousands of clients. She co-authored, with Joseph, the New York Times Best Seller "Clients First" in 2012 which personified everything in her life. In 2013, she joined The Salvation Army Metro Phoenix Advisory Board and was invited in 2017 to join the Army's prestigious National Advisory Board. She received the National Association of Realtors highest honor "The Good Neighbor Award" for her work marrying the Real Estate Industry and The Salvation Army, touching millions of lives to help combat homelessness and addiction in America. She was the recipient of numerous honors including The Salvation Army "Sally Award" and "Others" award. She established Real Estate for Rehabilitation and Real Estate Wednesdays which has raised millions locally and nationwide. JoAnn passed peacefully in her sleep surrounded by family on May 4. She is survived by her husband Joseph of 52 years; three daughters Kelly, Dawn and LaNeese and two sons Patrick and Scotty. Her legacy includes 14 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. Private services will be held at Hansen's Mortuary, 6500 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale, on Thursday, May 18. In lieu of flowers the family invites donations to www.salarmy.us/HonoringJoAnnCallaway.