JoAnne Branks

JoAnne (nee Wills) Branks, age 93, entered her Savior’s presence on May 29, 2024.  JoAnne was the sixth of the eight children of Dayton coal dealer J.L. Wills and his wife Helen.  At age fourteen, JoAnne attended a church camp at Beulah Beach where she met her future husband, William Branks.  JoAnne and Bill married in 1951 and moved to Bill’s native Detroit, where their three children were born. JoAnne’s highest aspiration was to be a wife, mother, and homemaker, and she poured herself into these worthy endeavors.  Bill’s work as terminal manager at Wills Trucking Company involved several moves, including to Cleveland, Ohio, Trenton, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio.  In 2015 Bill and JoAnne moved to Aurora, Ohio to be near family.  They were married 66 years when Bill passed away in 2016.  JoAnne grew up in a devout Christian home and as a young adult committed her own life to Jesus Christ.  Throughout her life she was an active member of a local church in each place they resided – singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, and extending gracious hospitality to friends and strangers alike.  She was a devoted, cherished wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a kind, loyal friend to many.  

JoAnne is survived by her three children, Brenda (Terry) Sawyer, Bill (Tamra) Branks, and Paul (Ann) Branks; 11 grandchildren: Sarah (Jonathon) Albright, Erin (Nathan) Porter, Emily (Chas) Claus, Laura (Philip) Denny, Joel (Carina) Sawyer, Anna (Jonathon) Keller, Elizabeth (Drew) Martin, Lauren (Dan) Nishida, Ellen (Justin) Stephens, Meredith (Tanner) Wilcox, and Lillian Branks; 35 great-grandchildren, and 48 nieces and nephews.  She is predeceased by her husband, Bill, and her seven siblings: Madonna Allen, James Wills, Paul Wills, Robert Wills, Mary Jane Lange, Helen Gillman, and Thomas Wills. 
A visitation will be held on Monday, June 3 at Parkside Church, 7100 Pettibone Road, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023 from 12:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. with a funeral service at 2:00 P.M. Interment is private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Nova Women’s Heath (www.mynovateam.com)