JoAnne DeLoach Tucker

On January 6, 2020, the world lost a beautiful and feisty lady to the ravages of time and cancer. JoAnne “Jo” Tucker was born December 4, 1934 in Lanett, Alabama. She went all through school developing several life-long friends, and was elected Homecoming Queen of Lanett High School. In 1958, Jo moved to Laredo, Texas where she met the love of her life, Ronald “Ron” John Tucker, an officer in the Air Force. They married in 1959 and lived a rich and full life for 61 years. In the early years, they lived briefly in Sherman before moving to Lubbock, Texas. After moving to Valdosta, Georgia, they lived in San Antonio from 1963-1967, Biloxi, Mississippi from 1967-1969, and Del Rio, Texas from 1969-1976. When Ron retired in 1976, they moved to Austin, Texas where Jo lived the remainder of her life.

Jo loved her family and friends, and one of her great joys was playing games with them. She enjoyed playing Bridge, board games – especially Trivial Pursuit, and working The New York Times Crossword puzzles. Everyone who knew Jo recognized her sense of style reflected in her dress and home. She always presented herself well, enjoying clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

Part of her charm was creating silly words, such as “dinkle” for any game pieces, or singing little nonsense songs such as “Ashy Roashy Day and a Poppy Seed Roll”, and “I Love You a Bushel and a Peck.”

Jo made everything special, including cooking incredible meals. Christmas was her favorite holiday. It was important to her that everyone feel loved and have a wonderful time when gathered together.

In 2008, Jo was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Feeling optimistic about her chances of survival, Jo elected to have the then-revolutionary Whipple surgical procedure and subsequent radiation and chemotherapy, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The odds of surviving this disease is low, but Jo had no thought of dying. She fought the good fight with Ron by her

side, and survived an amazing 11 more years. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend.

Her father, Ernest DeLoach; mother, Josephine Palmisano DeLoach; and son-in-law, Ike Edsel McIver, preceded Jo in death.

Jo is survived by her husband, Ronald John Tucker; daughter Deborah Denise Tucker; son Michael Joseph Tucker and wife DeAnn Hogue Tucker; grandson, Michael Ryan Tucker, wife Crystal Wick Tucker and great grandson Noah Oliver Tucker; granddaughter Spencer Elizabeth Tucker and grandson Cameron Blake Tucker.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org or to the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, www.ncdsv.org are encouraged.