Joan Davis

Joan Davis, 86, of Garden City, Kansas, died November 14, 2016. She was born in Garden City, Kansas on December 6, 1929, to George and Bernice (Reed) Anderson. She was married to Phil Davis of Topeka, Kansas on September 30, 1950. She was preceded in death by her son, Bob Davis, and her husband.
Joan is survived by her daughter, Kathy Hanson (and husband Chet) of Prairie Village, Kansas; her son, Steven Davis of San Antonio, Texas; her sisters, Joyce Brungardt of Garden City, Judith Anderson (and wife Marcia Blair) of Wickford, Rhode Island, June LaFollette of Garden City, and Jill Winn (and husband Larry) of Overland Park, Kansas; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; six nephews; one niece; three great-nephews; and nine great-nieces.
Joan attended Garden City Community College and Colorado College in Colorado Springs and, after her children were grown, she attended Washburn University in Topeka and earned her Master’s degree in Counseling at the University of Kansas. She worked for twenty-five years as a social worker and educational counselor in both Kansas and Texas before retiring in 1994. She was active in the Presbyterian Church’s women’s programs, a volunteer at Fry Eye Care, a member of the Red Hat ladies and a regular at the monthly luncheons of the high school class of 1947.
Joan’s sisters fondly remember all of the fun the “Five J’s” had together at annual Christmas gatherings in Hilton Head or Carmel entertaining all with their tap dance routines. Joan treasured her trips to Africa, Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Alaska and Croatia. Her family will always remember her as an avid reader, and artistic needle worker (she made 18 Christmas stockings for grandchildren, nephews and nieces), a cunning bridge player, an expert crossword puzzle solver, a “political junky,” the family historian, the “favorite” mother of her daughter’s friends and the beloved “matriarch” of the family.
Joan’s body has been donated to science for the year, after which she will be cremated.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, December 1 at 11:00 a.m., at the Presbyterian Church, 1719 Texas St. in Garden City.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Presbyterian Church or to St. Catherine Hospice both in care of Garnand Funeral Home of Garden City.