Merry Joan Gougar

Merry “Joan” Gougar (Garris), affectionately known as Mom, Poppi, or Nanny, passed away peacefully at home in Saraland, Alabama, on September 25, 2026, at the age of 86. Born July 3, 1940, in Thomaston, Alabama, Joan lived a full and colorful life centered around her faith, her family, and the many people she welcomed into her heart.

Joan was a woman who could be described in many ways: feisty, playful, generous, independent to a fault, and always ready for a little adventure. She was prim and proper when the occasion called for it, but she also knew how to let her hair down and have a good time. She loved the Lord and carried her faith with her throughout her life.

A nurse for 30 years, Joan spent much of her life caring for others. But perhaps her favorite roles were those of mother and grandmother. Holidays and family gatherings were always held at Joan’s house, where there was usually something being decorated, rearranged, crafted, cooked, or planned. She had a particular talent for imagining new projects and then finding a way to put everyone to work helping her bring them to life. She was the kind of grandmother who could just as easily be found planning her own birthday party as making mud pies or building a fort with her grandchildren. She loved crafting, decorating, spontaneous adventures, trips to the casino, and, most of all, being surrounded by the people she loved.

Joan leaves behind her three children, Chonda (Ken) Eslava, G. Doyle Huff, Jr. (Becky), and Timothy Huff (Denise); and Lynn McGraw, whom she loved as and became her daughter in every way that mattered. Our family cannot imagine these years without Lynn by her side. She will forever be one of Joan’s children and forever one of us.

Joan also leaves behind 13 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild, along with many cherished family members and dear friends. For Joan, family was never defined solely by marriage or blood. She had a remarkable ability to love people, claim them as her own, and make them feel that they belonged. Many people who were not family by blood became family because she said so and that was all that mattered.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James A. and Winnie Bell Garris; her brothers, James W. Garris and Joel A. Garris; her former husband, G. Doyle Huff, Sr., the father of her three children, with whom she shared a renewed friendship in their later years before his passing; her husband, Jack Gougar, who passed away in 2007; and her beloved longtime partner and companion, Ray McGraw.

We are deeply grateful to the hospice nurses and aides who supported Lynn and our family in caring for Joan at home, surrounded by familiar things and the family she loved. Their kindness, compassion, patience, and gentle care brought comfort not only to Joan, but to everyone who loved her.

Joan leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured simply by the number of people who called her Mom, Poppi, or Nanny. It lives in the family she built, the people she gathered around her, the traditions she created, the stories that will be told for years to come, and the countless lives she touched.

She was loved fiercely, she was never afraid to be herself, and she leaves behind a family who will miss her more than words can say.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at Forest Lawn Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.