JoAnn Francis

JoAnn Francis, 84, passed away on November 7, 2025, at her home in Gainesville, Texas. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 16, 1941, to Margaret and Gerald Hoffman. The Hoffmans moved around a lot working on farms and ranches when JoAnn was a kid, and she grew up with a love of animals and the outdoors.

JoAnn loved riding horses and competing in "playdays" with other young horse-riders. By the time she was 10 she was breaking in Shetland ponies for her father. An early indication of JoAnn's stalwart moral compass came when they lived in west Texas. Young JoAnn got in trouble for whistling in class and decided the hour-long bus ride to and from school wasn't worth it. She dropped out of first grade. Her mother honored her decision.

When they lived in Colorado, JoAnn's older sister, Doris, came to live with them. At one time there was only enough money to buy one dress for school. JoAnn didn't like dresses and was relieved that Doris got the dress. Eventually, Margaret, JoAnn and Doris landed in Irving, Texas. During their time in Irving, Margaret worked at a rubber product manufacturing company called Monkey Grip. Doris got married and JoAnn went to college at Arlington State College (now known as the University of Texas at Arlington) for a business degree.

During college, JoAnn worked at the Ford dealership in Irving. Around this time, she bought a car that needed some work. As a testament to JoAnn's resourcefulness and enterprising nature, we fully believe the story that she overhauled the engine with pliers and a screwdriver. Later on, at the same car dealership, JoAnn bought the first Ford Mustang sold in Dallas County. It was a 1964 ½ burgundy beauty that she drove straight off the trailer.

The Mustang, however, was not the car that she and her life-long friend, Nola, took on an epic road trip from Texas to Washington, D.C. Instead, they borrowed Margaret's truck with a camper shell. The short version of the trip is that JoAnn and Nola were known to undertake shenanigans, and the Lord is known for saving them from themselves.

The detailed version has a few incidents that stand out, like setting a National Forest on fire during one camp-out along the way. Thankfully, a man appeared out of nowhere and put out the fire then disappeared back into nowhere. Nola said it was an angel, and we completely agree. Another incident involved them backing up the truck, each looking out their own window for visual guidance. Neither saw the tree directly behind them until they backed straight into it. This spurred a rare argument between the besties where they blamed each other for the fender bender. Their friendship was fully restored by the time they arrived in D.C, where they had been advised not to walk around in the city for safety reasons. Not keen on following directions, they proceeded to walk around in the city. When the two young women came upon a group of men during their walk, JoAnn said to look straight ahead and walk on through. The tactic was successful.

Around that time, JoAnn was in a bowling group with Becky and her husband Bob. In need of another player, Becky convinced her nephew, Mickey, to join the team. Mickey "liked JoAnn's form" and stayed on the team. With tickets and encouragement from his mom, Mickey invited JoAnn to a football game at the Texas State Fair. It was the official first date of a 60-year relationship.

They dated until Mickey left for Army basic training in November of 1965. They continued their relationship via letter-writing until he came home in 1968. They got married on Aug. 16, 1969, in Irving, Texas. Their honeymoon was a fishing trip to Lake Murray in Oklahoma. She liked to fish. He liked to fish. So, they fished. The wild days of setting fire to the forest were traded for steady days of marriage and family.

Mickey and JoAnn welcomed their son Matthew in December 1970 and daughter Jennifer in February 1972. They raised the kids and livestock in Flower Mound, Texas. In the 1980s they moved to Gainesville, Texas. Their children remember always feeling loved despite having chores that involved attack chickens and 600 million pea hulls, and pediatric wound care that elicited JoAnn's adage, "I've had scratches bigger than that on my eyeball."

JoAnn's faith was very important to her. She would go to church even if the doors were closed, in which case she would kneel and pray while the kids played outside. When the doors were open, she was the kids' Sunday School teacher and led youth choir. Later, JoAnn loved to lead women in Bible study and into deeper faith in God. This showed during her decade of service in Bible Study Fellowship and in her time with women whose husbands served with Mickey in the Texas Baptist Men. It was her great joy to share her faith with her family and that joy endures as her great-grandchildren's fondest memories include sitting with her at church.

As Mickey neared retirement, JoAnn's itch for epic road trips needed to be scratched and she convinced him to get a travel trailer. They enjoyed using it to take their kids and grandkids on trips to Colorado and went on a cross-country adventure with Aunt Becky and JoAnn's mother, Margaret. These trips were free of shenanigans and full of quality time with people JoAnn loved the most – her family.

When friends and family gathered, JoAnn was often at a card table playing games – and winning. Any game was an opportunity for connection (and winning), but her favorite was the domino game, 42. It was when she had trouble remembering how to play dominoes that Mickey knew something was wrong. While her memory of games and words slipped away over the last few years, her spirit never faded. Her joy in her family was seen in a smile, a look or a raised eyebrow. Her joy in the Lord evident as she hummed a hymn. JoAnn once said that her goal in life was to be a blessing to others. She was.

JoAnn was preceded in death by her parents, and her brother-in-law Bob Hale of Lewisville, Texas. She is survived by her loving husband, Mickey, son Matt Francis and his wife Maggie; daughter Jennifer Patrick and her husband Cody; grandchildren Madison Schofield, Mackenzie Hurt, Lindsey Berry, Allison Francis and Joel Francis; great-grandchildren EmmaRae, Octavia, Jolene, Phoenix, Piper, Evander, Archer and Beau; sister Doris Hale; nephews Randy Hale and Keith Hale; nieces Dorrie Harris and RoAnn Mefford; numerous siblings-in -law and their children and grandchildren.

Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 pm Tuesday, November 11 at Meador Funeral Home, 1204 E. California Street, Gainesville, Texas. Funeral service will be held 1:00 pm Wednesday, November 12 at Custer City Baptist Church, 31 Custer City Lane, Gainesville, Texas with Brothers Randy Webb and Eddie Chennault officiating. Interment to follow service at Nelson Grove Cemetery, Gainesville, Texas.