Joan Crossman

Joan Ethel Jones Crossman, a Cleveland area resident for all of her life, died Saturday evening February 6th, surrounded by her children, at the age of 85. The youngest of four daughters, she was called "Johnny" by her father, who was expecting a son. The name stuck. After graduating from Lakewood High School and DePauw University, where she majored in English minored in Botany and Education and was a member of Pi Beta Phi, Johnny embarked upon a teaching career at Garfield Elementary School in Lakewood, Ohio until marrying and raising four children. A devoted mother and grandmother, she generously found time for others as an active member of her community. Johnny taught Sunday school and was a board member of the Cleveland Metropolitan YWCA and the Cleveland Women's Orchestra. She volunteered at Severance Hall, St. Luke's Hospital, the Cleveland Garden Center and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for 32 years. Johnny is remembered for her delightful sense of humor, which she imparted to her children and has served them to more easily traverse the vagaries of life. She had a wonderful sense of creativity, which found expression through her water color painting and gardening. Johnny's kindness stemmed from her belief in her fellow man and her conviction that everyone in life has something good to offer. Johnny is survived by her four children: Fred, Nancy, Sara, and James and her seven grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Wednesday morning, February 10th, at Garfield Memorial United Methodist Church, 3650 Lander Road, at 11:00 o'clock.


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