A memorial honoring the life of Joan Doke, 75 will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church at 1:00 on Saturday, February 3rd.  She was born on December 6th, 1942 in Jacksonville, Texas and passed away on January 27th, 2018.

She moved to Shreveport, Louisiana as a young girl where she lived until she moved to Lakeway, Texas late in her life.  She lived there for 10 years, moving back to Shreveport 3 years ago.

It was not easy raising her two children as a single mother, but she always made the most of everything for them.  She made everything an event.  No matter how simple, she made sure it was fun for her kids.  A vacation might be tent camping over a long weekend.  Just her and her kids….and often several other kids from the neighborhood.  All the kids in the neighborhood knew they were always welcome at Joan's house.  She was the mom that all the kids loved.  When she was able to take her children traveling, she was the person that didn't think anything of driving 50 miles the wrong way to see the proverbial "world's largest ball of twine".  She would stop at any time no matter the reason.  The destination didn't really matter, she made the trip itself the vacation.

Once her children were grown she was able to travel more.  It still wasn't easy, but she would do whatever she needed to be able to travel.  If it meant packing a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter for all the meals to make it possible, that's what she would do.  She scrimped and saved and was able to travel through all fifty states.  She had a wanderlust.

Now, about her friends.  Some people say you can judge your life by the friends you make.  She made friends no matter where she was or what she was doing.  She made friends wherever she went.  She also stayed close to her friends from school.  Joan and her high school friends have continued to stay close.  They meet every year or so to go on a special trip somewhere.  She has a group of friends that meet almost every Tuesday for supper.

As an adult she met a very special person who became a close friend.  Phyllis Liberto was a good and true friend from the time they met until the very end.

And then there was Mary Alice Peebles.  If you knew Joan, you knew or at least knew of Mary Alice.  They became best friends in junior high school and that friendship was never broken.  There are very few relationships like theirs.  Friends do not get any closer.

She will be missed by everyone that was touched by her life.  She truly loved life.  When you think of her, smile and know that she is continuing to make friends even now.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 6 years, Joe Doke.  She was also preceded by her parents Robert and Mary Anderson.

She is survived by her two children, daughter Teri Quinn DeFatta of Shreveport and husband Mark and son Tommy Quinn of Aquilla, Texas.

Also, her brother John Charles Anderson and wife Mary.  Two nephews and their spouses, John Anderson, Jr. and wife Jennifer and their boys Chase and Hunter and Joel Anderson and wife Jennifer and their son August.

A special thanks to the nursing staff at Aimee Hospice Facility.