Joann Snyder

Joann was born to John and Eva Pankratz, the youngest of their three children, on October 18, 1937, in McPherson, Kansas. She was raised alongside her two older brothers, Emerson and Franklin, and was blessed with five nephews and their wives: James (Helen), Gene (Miriam), Keith (Jan), Leland (Kelley), and Robert (Kelly). Over the years, the Pankratz family grew to include many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Joann wanted all of you to know that some of her fondest memories were the times when the whole Pankratz family could gather together to share love, laughter, good food, and some good-natured fun.

Joann attended Clark Elementary School and later Central Kansas Christian Academy, where she earned her high school diploma. After high school, she moved with her parents to Fresno, California, and attended Pacific Bible Institute, now known as Fresno Pacific University, for two years. She then completed her bachelor’s degree in education and earned her teaching credentials at California State University, Fresno. Joann became an elementary school teacher and spent 38 years teaching in Fresno-area public schools. She loved helping children learn to read and write and watching them grow.

In addition to teaching, Joann held passions for reading, gardening, travel, writing, and a love of animals. She read daily, with the Bible and biographies being her favorite selections. She maintained a colorful annual flower garden and a small orchard of fruit-bearing trees, often sharing her blooms and fresh fruit with family and friends. She visited all but two of the fifty states and several countries. She enjoyed journaling about the adventures she had and the people she met during her travels. She had beautiful penmanship and engaged in regular hand-written correspondence with her family and friends around the world. In addition to her keen eye for spotting her favorite birds in nature, Joann shared her life with many pets over the years, but she spoke most fondly of her childhood dog, Rover; her first pets after marriage, Tina the terrier and Shelley the Siamese cat; and her most recent companion, her beloved tabby cat, Jimmy.

Shortly after college, Joann met and married Les Snyder, Jr. Together they built a life in Fresno, California, where they remained throughout their marriage of forty-one years until Les's passing. Les and Joann were blessed with one daughter, Susanne, who brought great joy to them both. Susanne later married Doug Peterson, and together they welcomed two beautiful daughters, Kate and Audrey, as well as a bonus daughter, Loraina. Loraina and her husband, Pablo, have two sweet children, Zoey and Luciano. This growing family became a great delight to both Les and Joann and a sustaining source of love for Joann after Les’s passing. Over the past two decades, Gabby and her husband, Andrew, also wove their lives and hearts into the Snyder-Peterson clan, rounding out the family and offering unwavering love and support through every season of life.

Joann was blessed with dear friends she acquired in her youth and during her career but who became regular social companions after her retirement. She spoke fondly of her friends and the fun and support they shared with one another over the years. In her final days she recounted stories and expressed much gratitude for each of these relationships and their meaning in her life.

Joann shared that a prayer she offered to God as a teenage girl was that she might someday achieve her dream to have grandchildren and to live long enough to watch them grow into adulthood. She considered her granddaughters the beautiful answer to this prayer. They were the true delight of her life, and she expressed deep gratitude for the gift of seeing each of them grow into the people they were meant to be.

As a young girl in Kansas, Joann attended Buhler Mennonite Church with her family. It was there that she came to know Christ as her Lord and Savior and publicly confessed her faith through baptism. Throughout her adult life, she continued seeking a close relationship with God and faithfully practicing her Christian faith. As a family, Les and Joann, Susanne and Doug, and the girls became members of NorthPointe Community Church. Joann served her faith community through her lifetime commitments to her church and many missions organizations.

In her final days, Joann reflected often on God’s goodness throughout her life. Through life’s greatest joys, its deepest struggles, and its quiet everyday moments, God faithfully answered her prayers and remained steadfastly present beside her. She shared that she was ready to go home to Jesus and said that, if she could leave any parting words, she would encourage others to trust God and stay close to Him through continual prayer. Joann lived as a true contemplative of Jesus and leaves behind a legacy of steadfast faith and prayer and generous love for family and friends.

After a short illness, Joann passed peacefully into the presence of her Lord in February 2026, surrounded by her immediate family as they prayed and sang at her bedside. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers and their wives; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; and her beloved husband, Les. She leaves behind her daughter and son-in-law, her granddaughters and great-grandchildren, her nephews and their families, her brother-in-law and sisters-in-law, her nieces-in-law and nephews-in-law, her cousins, and her cherished lifelong friends. She held all of these relationships close to her heart and remained deeply grateful for the love shared with each and every one throughout her life.

Family graveside services will be held in June 2026. Joann will be laid to rest beside her loving husband in Truckee, California. The family wishes to thank the physicians, nurses, staff, and chaplains at Saint Agnes Medical Center for the excellent care and compassionate comfort they provided during Joann’s final days. They also extend heartfelt gratitude to the cherished family and friends who surrounded them with support, love, and prayer throughout Joann’s hospital stay.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in Joann’s honor to Fresno Mission, P.O. Box 1422, Fresno, CA 93716-1422.