Jo Ann Garrison

Jo Ann Garrison, age 86, passed peacefully at her home on January 21, 2026, with her beloved son Michael by her side—just as she would have wanted. She once wrote, “From the first I was totally devoted to my family and spent all my time trying to do things for them to make them happy.” Those words were not just a reflection, but the guiding truth of her life. She was born on October 27, 1939, in Stephens, Columbia County, Arkansas, to Eugene Walter Dixon and Leah Smelser Dixon. She was the eldest of three daughters and shared a lifelong bond with her sisters, Mary Ruth Dixon Bailey and Sarah Jean Dixon Bridges. 1957, she graduated from Magnolia High School in Magnolia, Arkansas. On April 1, 1958, she married Marvin Dewey Garrison, beginning a chapter of life centered on love, perseverance, and motherhood. Their first son, Arthur Gene Garrison, was born on October 24, 1958, and was heartbreakingly taken from this world after just 15 days due to hepatitis—a loss she carried quietly but deeply. She later welcomed two more sons, Maurice Wayne Garrison, born April 19, 1962, and Michael Lorne Garrison, born September 3, 1965. Though her marriage ended in divorce on October 27, 1983, her devotion to her children and grandchildren never wavered. They remained the center of her world for the rest of her life. She worked as a floral designer and hospital housekeeper, bringing beauty and care into the lives of others, but her greatest work was always her family. She found comfort and joy in reading and treasured the quiet moments just as much as the lively ones filled with loved ones. She leaves behind a legacy of love carried forward by her sons, grandchildren John Hollon, Michael Garrison, Chris Garrison, Jeff Garrison, Enrique Valencia, Alexander Valencia, and Jesiree Valencia, and her 13 great-grandchildren—each one a testament to the family she so carefully nurtured. Her life was one of selfless love, quiet strength, and unwavering devotion. She will be remembered not only for what she did, but for how deeply she loved—and how completely she gave herself to those she held dear. A graveside service will take place at Shawnee Fairview Cemetery, 1400 N Center Ave, Shawnee, OK, 74801, on January 27, 2026, from 11:00 am to 11:30 am.