Mrs. Joan Sloan Sharpe

Joan’s advice to all was to remember all the good times. She was a strong woman who courageously faced death with pride and honor because, you see, Joan knew that what was yet to come was only another chapter in her incredible journey.

She was born June 11, 1934, in Iredell County and was the daughter of the late Ernest Neal and Ena Pearl Goodin Sloan. She was a graduate of Central School and worked fifteen years with Statesville Auto Auction following her retirement from Blue Ridge Textile Printers in 1996. She was a member of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church and a former member of Christ Boulevard United Methodist Church where she had received the Woman of the Year Award. She was a member of the Canasta Card Club, Class of ’52 Monday luncheon, ABWA Metrolina Chapter, Dixie Wheelers, and Dogwood Swingers Square Dancing Club. She enjoyed crocheting and used that gift in her volunteer work at Iredell Memorial Hospital. She also enjoyed reading, walking her granddog, Harley, and reading to the residents at Maple Leaf Health Care Center on Mondays.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death on May 23, 2009, by her husband, Harold Robert Sharpe, whom she married on June 6, 1953; and a granddaughter, Danielle Alexis Main; a sister, Wadie Stewart; and a brother, Maynard Sloan.

Joan is survived by three daughters, Lucia Morrison (Mickey), Dani Main (Ted O’ Keefe), and Ena Stevenson (Mark), all of Statesville; a grandson, Christopher Lynn Main (Jennifer Knox) of Statesville; a granddaughter, Brittany Main Waddell (T.J.) of Wilmington; sisters, Nancy LeVan-Little (Leslie) and Betty Sloan, both of Statesville; three brothers, Jim Sloan (Karen), E.N. Sloan (Cecile), and Gilbert Sloan, all of Statesville; a “special” daughter, Jill Holdsclaw-Gray of Statesville; and two honorary grandsons, Corey Cheek of Coronado, CA and Cameron Cheek of Statesville.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, August 23, 2011, at Oakwood Cemetery. A celebration of life service will be held at 1:30 PM Tuesday, at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church with the Rev. Karen Miller, the Rev. Gervase Hitch, and the Rev. Tom Corbell officiating.

The family will receive friends from 12:00 to 1:15 PM Tuesday in the church fellowship hall prior to the service where light refreshments will be served.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.bunchjohnsonfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC 28625; or to Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, 825 Wesley Drive, Statesville, NC 28677.

Joan loved with all her heart and that love was reciprocated by the numerous friends and family who continuously showed their enduring support. The family would like to thank everyone for all their cards, visits, phone calls and prayers as Joan greatly appreciated and enjoyed them very much. A special thanks is also given to Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County for their compassionate care and service.

Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.

Written by Ena and read by Teresa Brown for the 3 girls:

May 18th…Our whole world changed…Time stood still and life as we knew it would never be the same again. Our healthy 77 year old Mom, who didn’t take prescription medicines and had beat breast cancer 14 years ago was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Our first thought…a death sentence.

What started as some of the darkest, saddest days with many ups and downs, became one of the most incredible journeys, to quote her words. We saw her go from being so sick and weak in the beginning to the strongest woman we know. It was almost as if she was out to prove the doctors wrong.

Anyone who called or visited to see how she was doing always heard….”I’m GREAT”! or “it’s a WONDERFUL day”! Amazing, simply amazing! And she loved her visitors and calls and cards so much. We tried to protect her in the beginning from too many visitors and getting too tired but we soon discovered that she drew strength from each person that visited. And we also discovered that although they came to cheer her up, they left being cheered up.

Mommy fought a good fight, she was a mighty warrior to the end! And it WAS an incredible journey that we were privileged to travel with her. Our lives will never be the same again, but we are stronger after traveling this journey with her.

Written and read by Brittany at the service:

To My Grannie:

I wish I could put into words just how special you are to me so everyone else in this room could truly understand what an amazing grandmother you were; therefore I will try to share a little of our life with them. From the day we were born, so I’ve been told, you loved holding me and Christopher; you had that special touch that only grandmothers have. That special touch never went away. Some kids grow up and grow out of their grandparent’s lives; our family has only gotten closer over the years. Even though we had lots of miles between us after I went away to college, it never affected our relationship. I have to admit a phone call wasn’t quite as good as coming over and seeing your beautiful face everyday and maybe sneaking in a back scratching while I was there; but it worked for us. I guess Harley took mine and Christopher’s spot in the back scratching department, huh?

I am so grateful for so many things you and Papa have provided for me and Christopher but most of all I am thankful for the memories. They will never be forgotten. I loved it when you and Papa would take me and Christopher to Ghost Town, and Papa and Christopher would always ride up on the chair lift together and I always sat on your lap on the lift. Not to mention, on the ride there we would be singing “How we love the little rascals” ALL THE WAY THERE or until Papa and Christopher yelled at us. I loved how you always called me plunderbutt because I went thru EVERYTHING in the house, but I knew you didn’t really mind. There are so many wonderful memories I have of you and Papa and I will never forget a one.

I wish I could have physically been there for you more as you fought your courageous battle with cancer, but our hugs we shared over the phone everyday were the next best thing. This letter only mentions you as a Grandmother, but that’s how I know you best; however I have heard and witnessed for myself how wonderful of a mother, wife, sister, aunt, and friend you were. Everybody loves you Gran and how could they not? You and Papa are incredible and I thank God everyday for being so blessed and honored to be your granddaughter. We will miss you terribly, but I know Papa, Danielle, and many others are thankful to have you with them now.

I love you Grannie…

Written and read by Christopher at the service:

Hello, most of you knew my grandmother as Joan, but I knew her as Gran.

Gran was much more to me than a grandmother; she and Papa had almost as much a hand in raising me and my sister, Brittany, as our parents. I was with Gran almost everyday as a kid. I usually went over to Gran and Papa’s house before school, where Gran would fix me a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. And after school Gran would fix me a bowl of Goldfish and a bottle of Mellow Yellow or Cheerwine. Some of the best school days were when I was sick and Gran would make a little bed for me on the floor in the living room and spoil me rotten. Sometimes, and my memory fails me a little now, I may have been faking it.

Gran was not only kind and loving, but she was very intelligent. I spent a lot of afternoons “helping” Gran do the crossword puzzle. She was really good with words, and I’m pretty sure she utilized a lot of patience in waiting on me to come up with a word here and there. She dropped a lot of hints; but I think that she enjoyed teaching me and listening to me try figure out the occasional answer.

I like to think that some of Gran’s intelligence rubbed off on me. I know that she was always so proud of me when I graduated college and even more proud when I graduated law school. I remember the day that I told Gran and Papa that I had been accepted to South Carolina; they both cried, which wasn’t too unusual for Papa, but Gran seldom shed a tear. Papa wasn’t able to make to my law school graduation and he died only three weeks later; but somehow Gran still put on a brave face.

Gran and Papa did a lot for my sister and me. They took us on trips to places like Santa Land, Dollywood, Spencer (to see the trains), Myrtle Beach, the Mountains, and many many more. I’ll never forget the time we went to Maggie Valley to the Mile High Ghost Town when I was just a boy. If you’ve ever been there, you know that the way up and down from the Ghost Town is by riding a really long and really high chair lift. On the way down, a gust of wind rose up and blew my favorite hat right off my head. Well, I was, of course, upset; but Gran was determined to get that hat. She was ready to literally climb a mountain for me, and for nothing more than a hat. Of course Papa and the Ghost Town staff wouldn’t let her. And to this day, I have no doubt that Gran had the strength to climb up that mountain and get my hat.

She has always been a strong woman. She had a determined spirit. Her strength was shown when she dealt with breast cancer, faced life without Papa, and finally faced her own death. I know that she was prepared to die; she would occasionally sit in her chair near the end and just say, “it’s amazing.” She knew her time with us on this earth was ending, but she also knew she would be reunited with Papa and my sister, Danielle, and all of her past loved ones. And she had a lot of loved ones.

It was incredible how many people came to visit with Gran during her last few months. It was even more amazing how she would perk up when visitors came calling. She was so brave and grateful for her friends and family. I came by most days after work or during lunch and Gran would tell me, “I’m fine, I’m great.” I knew she wasn’t, but she did that for me. She did that for everyone.

Thank you Gran for my life as I know it, for I could not know it as it is without you. You have shaped me through the years, and I hope to always make you happy even though I can no longer see your smile. I love you.