John McCoy and his family are sad to announce the death of his wife, Joann McCoy, who passed away on Jan. 3, 2010 at the age of 76. She died after a two-year battle with cancer. If there ever was a threat to cancer it was Joann, who fought the disease with the same force of energy with which she lived life.
She was born in Bilin, Czechoslovakia, and met John in Germany in 1952. Knowing only a few words of English, she quickly mastered the language while attending Blair’s Business College in Colorado Springs. After returning to Germany, she was employed at the U.S. Army Headquarters in Heidelberg, where she served as an executive secretary responsible for organizing the affairs and commitments of the U.S. Army generals over a 19-year period.
Before moving to Florida, John and Joann spent 10 idyllic years on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. During this time, Joann was employed by Pivar Real Estate as an accountant. After the destruction of their home on St. Croix by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, they decided to move to Sarasota, Florida, in 1991.
Her interest in cooking, reading, growing wonderful orchids and entertaining friends kept her busy during retirement. She had a zest for life and inspired everyone that came in contact with her. Her positive spirit will be missed by all. John and Joann were married for 54 years and were looking forward to celebrating their 55th anniversary in March 2010. She is survived by her husband, daughter, son-in-law and sister.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to TideWell Hospice Inc., 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, Florida 34238 or to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 221717, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73123-1718. Services will be private for the family and burial will be held at Sarasota National Cemetery at a later date. Farley Funeral Home in Venice, Florida, is handling the arrangements. To send condolences, visit www.farleyfuneralhome.com.
