Joann Kohl

Advance, NC - Joann Kohl (Smith), Daughter, Sister, Devoted Wife, Mom, Grammy, and Friend peacefully entered into eternal rest on March 12, 2024. She lived a life full of joy with her family and her friends. Growing up in the shadow of Mt. Rainier in Washington State, she met her beloved hubby, Rick, in Boynton Beach, FL, eventually moving to Advance, NC to settle down near her kids. All who knew her spoke of her undying love of Christ and her family.

Joann was a devout Catholic and follower of Christ. She spent her life in the service of our Lord day in and day out. She dedicated countless hours of her life praying and helping those around her to become Christ-like through her words and actions. Her enthusiastic love and devotion to Christ guided her to be the loving wife, mother, grammy, and friend that we all know and love. If you were lucky enough, you could find her sitting at any number of masses at countless churches across the Charlotte diocese, especially the latin masses. She was a firm believer in the sanctity of life and what that meant for her as a Catholic. Whether it was her own family, her animals, a stranger in passing, or an unborn child she loved everyone equally and fully. Both physically and mentally strong, she displayed fiery determination at times, which our dad adored. Her beauty, both inward and outward, radiated without question, and her steadfastness in beliefs made her convictions clear to all.

She was a simple woman in that it was the little things in life that brought her joy. Spending time with Jesus was always top of her list. She loved warm spring days; those days where you could lounge outside with a nice breeze, the smell of grass and spring time flowers in the air. Her barn was her second home, one of her favorite places to be was with her horses. Joann found joy in life's simple pleasures. She had a serious sweet tooth, and cherished moments spent with her family, gardening, caring for the animals on her farm, and baking her famous cookies. Finding joy in the midst of the ordinary was a testament to her appreciation for the beauty of life. If you got the time to spend with her one-on-one she was a really amazing listener, but loved to engage in great conversations as well. No one was a stranger, she loved to learn more about everyone. If she knew you, you were on her prayer list and there are post-it notes to prove it. She made everyone feel special and created unmatched friendships. She loved a good warm hug from those she cared for, and loved their prayers even more. She was convicted in what she believed and knew to be true, namely her faith for Christ and her love for her kids. Her favorite saying was, “Jesus, I trust in You.” reflecting her love and devotion to Christ. She lived a ‘Wonaful’ life as her husband would say, spreading joy and positivity to all she knew.

Though Joann may no longer be with us in person, her love and spirit will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew her. May she rest in eternal peace, surrounded by the love of God whom she cherished so deeply. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Michelle and Steve Cardillo and their three children, Griffin, Wesley, and Nolan; her daughter and son-in-law Ashley and Kenny Davis and their two children, Jack "Jackie" and Maggie; her boy Rick, and his four children, Isaac, Joseph “Joey”, Grace, and Eve; and her brother and sister-in-law Jim and Gail Smith. She is reunited in heaven with her parents, Bob and Evelyn Smith, her brother, Jay Smith, and her loving husband, Rick Kohl.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church (335 Springdale Avenue Winston-Salem, NC 27104) on Tuesday, March 19th at 11AM. Followed by a Rite of Committal and burial at Holy Family Catholic Cemetery, 4820 Kinnamon Road, Winston-Salem, NC, 27103, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Room at the Inn in Greensboro, or St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly.