Jo Ann was born in February 1935 to Clarence Albert Brownlee and Lindsay Lavelle Hunter in Chickasha, Oklahoma. JoAnn married Air Force pilot Clyde Richard (Dick) Robbins in 1957. They had 3 children: David, Margaret and Paul, followed by 2 grandchildren, James and Kristina, and 4 great-grandchildren.
In addition to raising her family, JoAnn at various times worked for Transworld Airlines (TWA), Houston Medical Center, Colonial Williamsburg, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, among others. Starting in mid-life JoAnn translated her lifelong interest in anthropology into a job as an archeologist. JoAnn dug primarily at colonial-era sites in eastern Virginia, though she especially enjoyed a summer of digging in New Mexico.
Jo Ann was an avid student of anthropology and Colonial history, and loved sharing her knowledge of all things Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown. She was a lifelong gardener, known for her green thumb and fish emulsion fertilizer. She enjoyed rock-and-roll music and was a devoted fan of the Grateful Dead. For a time, she enjoyed making ceramics and oil painting.
JoAnn was predeceased by her brother Harry Edward (Buddy) Brownlee, and her former husband.
Jo Ann’s was interred at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Williamsburg, Virginia on Dec 4th 2019.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Preservation Virginia (preservationvirginia.org) to continue her legacy of support for Virginia historical preservation.
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