Joni Scott Dickson

Among Joni’s myriad number of brilliant qualities, one of the things that come to mind when remembering her was her vast and endless wealth of knowledge. Joni was a woman of the world, well-traveled and full of life, with an indomitable spirit and a boundless curiosity that seemed unmatched to those who knew her.

A passionate activist and humanist, Joni participated most of her life in various causes, raising awareness most audibly for women’s causes and human rights whenever and wherever she could. While Joni spent most of her life endlessly dedicated to service and these causes, there was nothing she was more devoted to than her family. One of her daughters remembered her as a woman who “endlessly showered her family with grand, maternal love”.

Some of her favorite hobbies were bird watching and gardening, both of which she tended masterfully. She loved creating marine habitats and ponds for her goldfish and other aquatic life.

A living journeyman (woman!), Joni’s vast number of talents ranged from the most intricate and delicate sewing projects to pouring and using concrete in various home projects, including building her farmhouse.

A few of her family’s favorite Joni-isms:

“Is this the dream we are living, or is this the life we are dreaming?”

“Get over the negative and get on with it! There are only 24 hours in a day – what you do with it is your choice.”

“Take ownership of yourself and take charge of your own life.”

Born in Monroe, Joni was a Louisiana girl who moved to Shreveport. She attended Captain Shreve High School and graduated, going on to attend LSU-S. During her time at Captain Shreve, Joni was active in every student club and program the school offered and was one of the original board members responsible for giving the school its well-known mascot. Go Gators!

During her time at LSU-S, she took an interest in graphic design, and wrote and illustrated several books. She moved to the country and raised her beloved family. As a mother, Joni was unmatched. She taught her children how to respect nature, grow fruit and vegetables, and become creative and self-reliant.

Joni touched every life she came into deeply, and will be remembered as a singular, unstoppable woman whose tenacity and fighting spirit will live on long after her.

Joni is preceded in death by her mother Bobbie Jean Farris Scott and her father, Arthur Edward Scott Jr “Scotty”; she is also preceded by her first husband James Norman Barké ”Sandy”.

She is survived by her sister, Jan Lila Scott Stone and her husband, Rex Lane Stone, their daughter Amy Janette Stone, her daughter Morgan Jean Thomas,along with their daughter, Lila Michelle Stone-Porter and William Robert Porter Jr. and their daughters, Violet Grace Porter and Lillian Elayne Porter, her second husband Claudius Markham Dickson, II along with her daughter Allison Jeanine Barké Dickson West and her husband Jordan Dewey West, as well as their children Abraham Dewey and Sylvia Ruby West; her daughter Mattie Lou Ardis Dickson her sons Charles Louis "Charlie" and Benjamin Scott Lofton "Ben" and the children’s father Joseph Adam Lofton; her son Claudius Markham Dickson III and his wife Ines Neumann Dickson, as well as their children Romi and Cleo Dickson.

A visitation for Joni will be held Thursday, June 13, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home & Park, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport, Louisiana 71108. A celebration of life at graveside will occur Friday, June 14, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Centuries Memorial Park, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport, Louisiana 71108.