Joanne Jackson was born on Monday February 2, 1948, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Mary Maddox and Robert Jackson. She was the youngest of nine siblings, and as a child, she spent time in Chagrin Falls and Martha’s Vineyard with her grandmother.
Joanne was affectionately known as Pinky by close relatives and friends. A little-known fact is that she left the hospital without a name and went by Pinky for years until she picked her name Joanne out of a hat at the age of five.
She was a renaissance woman – artist, painter, choreographer, singer, music lover (from opera to hip-hop), model, ceramist, plant lover, researcher, UFO enthusiast, sci-fi lover, fashion designer, baker, and the original hype-(wo)man to many. Joanne will be most remembered for being a loving mother, sister, and friend. Although she was afraid of flying, she never missed an opportunity to travel on a plane and care for friends and family members in need.
As an amazing single mother of four, Joanne ensured her children took advantage of Cleveland’s vast art and culture community. They have fond memories of visiting the many museums around Cleveland, attending classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art, seeing the opera, and Alvin Ailey’s performances at Playhouse Square. Always aiming to bring peace and quiet to her home at 8702 Blaine Ave., Joanne used creative ways to settle disagreements, such as a game of Jacks to determine whose turn it was to wash dishes. Additionally, she strongly encouraged her children to travel the world and to be the best at whatever they wanted to do.
In 1994, Joanne moved to metro Atlanta’s suburb, Marietta, Georgia, where she helped to raise her grandson, Malcolm. She started her career in healthcare working for Kennestone Hospital in housekeeping. Having the ability to quickly build rapport by connecting through shared interests, Joanne was handpicked to work in the operating room as a surgical technician alongside some of her favorite surgeons. From there, she became a certified phlebotomist and officially retired as a laboratory technician in 2021.
In March 2020, Joanne moved back to Cleveland to be cared for by her loving family. Joanne spent the last 15 months of her life waking up to a beautiful view of Lake Erie. She enjoyed watching the sunset stretched across the lake and admiring the dark sky as a ray of moonlight danced across the waters at night.
Joanne was special to many and will be missed. Joanne is survived by her children, Ronald Jackson, Shelton Jackson, Temekia Jackson, and Sharima Jackson; her grandchildren, Shauntae Jackson, Jerrico Jackson, Micah Stoudemire, Shacoya (Chris) Smith, Ronald Jackson II, Jermeka Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Michael Stoudemire, Shelton (Shiann) Jackson II, Braylen Jackson, Malcolm Smith, and Mariyah Bogard; 15 great-grandchildren; her sister Margery Jones; adopted son Arnold Jackson, her aide and friend, Marcia Hird; and a host of family and friends.