Joanie Marie Conaway

Joanie Marie (Walzl) Conaway was born on September 3, 1966, to John Henry Walzl, Jr. and Mary Vincent (Huber) Walzl in Kansas City, Missouri. Joanie died peacefully, surrounded by her family and loved ones, on May 30, 2026.

She was the 2nd daughter out of four daughters total, including Jane Smith, Jeanie Schmidt, and Jennifer Walzl. Her parents raised her in a Christian household, where she learned to have a deep relationship with the Lord which persisted throughout her entire life.

Her father was passionate about shooting and taught all his daughters how to shoot high-powered rifles competitively. They competed all over the country for 10 years, receiving many awards during that time, including Joanie almost being named an alternate shooter for the Olympics.

She graduated from Platte County High School in 1985 and later attended Bob Jones University. Ever since Joanie was a child, she knew that she wanted to be a wife and mother. Joanie was working at Farmland as a receptionist and met Anthony Conaway when he was working at Shook, Hardy, and Bacon. They married in 1996 and had two children together, Victoria Marie (Conaway) Webster (1999) and Andrew Merrill Conaway (2001). Although she and Anthony later divorced in 2003, she loved him dearly and was forever thankful for the children they had together.

Her children remember her as the most supportive and loving mother who always encouraged them to pursue their goals. She instilled her love of the arts in her children, taking them to art museums and the Kansas City Symphony as often as she could as they were growing up. She loved a beautiful spring day - one where the weather was 70°, the sun was shining, the grass was freshly mowed, and the trees were a vibrant green. These days will always make them think of her.

As a single mother, it was important to her to have a job that would be flexible enough to still be home with her children by the time school let out every day. For that reason, she created her own cleaning business called The Clean Team. Joanie prioritized hiring single mothers and eventually ran a team of around 10 women with hundreds of customers on her client list. Eventually, she sold her cleaning business, as it had become a success through networking and word of mouth.

One of Joanie’s favorite things was to host her friends and family for every holiday. She would plan elaborate meals and decor for every holiday party and had an extensive repertoire of hosting equipment. Her favorite holiday to host was Thanksgiving, where she would prepare all of everyone’s favorite family recipes and plan fun games for everyone to play together. In 2025, she helped her daughter host her first Thanksgiving in Springfield, MO, and those memories will be cherished by her children as they take over hosting family holidays together.

Joanie is preceded in death by her father, John Henry Walzl, Jr. (2021).

Joanie is survived by her significant other, Michael (Bud) Penner; mother, Mary Vincent (Huber) Walzl; two children, Victoria (Conaway) Webster and Andrew Conaway; two grandchildren; three siblings, Jane Smith, Jeanie Schmidt, Jennifer Walzl; and other family members and loved ones.

The family would like to thank the North Kansas City Cardiac Intensive Care Unit nurses, whose kindness and empathy brought peace to Joanie and her entire family during her stay.

Visitation will be held at White Chapel Funeral Home, 6600 NE Antioch Road, Gladstone, Missouri, on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with a Celebration of Life beginning at 4:00 PM.