Thursday, December 2, 2004
I went to school with Joanne and Gary. Joanne graduated was a year ahead of me, and Gary a year after. I knew David and Dorinda too, but not as well, since there were several years separating us. When we lived north of town, all of the Lovelace kids rode the school bus with us, and probably hated doing it as much as we did. Joanne never did anything "half-way," and she seemed to excell in every endeavor. She was such a beautiful and smart girl, that I think a lot of guys felt too intimidated to even ask her for a date. She just busied herself with other activities, and was one of the most popular girls in school. She was nice to everybody - not just her closest friends - surely an indication of being properly raised and being mature beyond some of the "clique-ish" behaviors that teenagers usually exhibit during that time of their lives. I remember that Joanne, Janice Phillips, Marilyn Teaff and Treva Totty sat in front of me and some of my buddies in Ms. Dodie Stokes' chemistry class. Joanne and those girls hardly ever had to ask a question and made straight "A"'s, while me and the guys were struggling to maintain a "C." When one of my friends 'somehow' made an "A" on one of the exams, it didn't take Dodie Stokes very long to imagine how that might have happened - (he evidently looked over Joanne's shoulder and copied her answers). Since Dodie didn't see the cheating, but highly suspected it, and Joanne knew nothing about it, there was a one-time warning to everyone in the class (but actually directed to all of us boys who sat in the bleacher-type seats up and directly behind those girls). Dodie stoically said something to the effect: "I suspect there might have been some cheating going on in the last exam, and if I even have a hint that it might continue, I will assign seating in this classroom." 'Nuff' said. I retired from the navy in '93 and attended the AHS ex-student's reunion in '94. I saw Joanne there and she looked like time had stood still. She still looked as I remembered her in high school. So it came as a shock, and I was/am saddened by the loss of Joanne, as many are, I'm sure. Apparently she challenged her illness with a valiant fight and was an inspiration to many others of her plight along the way. I'd like to think that her strength gave many others the courage to understand and fight their disease as she did. That would be "typically," Joanne. I feel blessed just to have known her as I did. Dana
