Joanne Mansfield

Joanne was born to Irene Kramer Hollis and James Frances Hollis Jr. in 1930 in Detroit Michigan, joining her older brother Dr. James Francis Hollis III and sister Virginia Hollis Simons in their family home on Bewick Avenue.

As a child Joanne enjoyed roller skating with friends, summer trips to the lake, and singing for which she showed an ability that prompted her mother to enroll her in voice lessons at a young age. Joanne was 7 years old when she lost her beloved father to pneumonia which prompted her mother, crippled by arthritis, to take a job at the American Felt Company making it possible to support the family and for Joanne to continue voice lessons. When Joanne later attended Annunciation High School in Detroit, she performed frequently and demonstrated such perfect pitch, control, volume and style that the nuns were known to quietly open doors when Joanne was simply practicing to let her voice ring through the halls.

After graduating from high school, Joanne continued to sing professionally around Detroit, and also worked as a legal secretary.

Joanne married Walter Arnold Mansfield in 1959, a prominent insurance attorney. Joanne became a full time homemaker and raised four children: Andrew Hollis Mansfield (Louise), Diana Marie Heckert, Patricia Ann Mansfield (Dwight), and Walter Arnold Mansfield Jr. (Maureen).

Joanne was a busy wife, a loving mother, and a devoted daughter to her ailing mother, yet she managed to remain active in charitable groups, to enjoy social activities including her pinochle and bridge groups, and even found the time and energy to selflessly take in her brother’s and sister’s children for months at a time on many occasions.

Joanne was a self-starter and at age 47 decided to return to work and fearlessly scheduled 9 interviews, and received 9 offers, in one day. Joanne became an executive secretary, 6 months later an Office Manager, quickly advanced into Sales and Marketing and 2 weeks later, after surpassing all expectations, was offered the opportunity to create and operate a placement service there. The business flourished and in 1982, in the midst of a deep recession, she risked her home and savings to build a business of her own, Joanne Mansfield Legal Personnel. JMLP thrived due to her magnetic personality, drive, keen instincts, fair business practices, and her dedication to the secretaries she placed and the law firms she served.

Joanne was divorced in 1978. In 1982 Joanne was joined at JMLP by her daughter, Diana, and in 1985 by her son, Walter, who has since relocated to Kansas, and for a brief period by her sister, Virginia Simons. In 1995 Joanne was honored to be appointed to the Michigan Personnel Agency Board by Governor John M. Engler on which she served two consecutive 3 year terms and helped levy sanctions against unethical placement agencies.

Joanne was a very proud Grandmother to Jennifer (Shane), Kelsey, Holly, Katherine, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Alexa and Victoria, and a Great Grandmother to Eamon and John. Joanne was also a devoted Aunt to James and Jeffrey Hollis, and to Ann, Merton, Nevin and John Simons.

Joanne was an avid scrabble player, she enjoyed reading, listening to talking books, regular trips to chat with friends at the “hair shop”, dining out, her many email buddies to whom she faithfully forwarded funny jokes and thoughtful tips, and travel. She visited Europe, Mexico, Hawaii, and Las Vegas several times, spent time at condominiums she owned in Arizona and Florida, and frequently traveled on either trips with her family to various places or to Illinois, Colorado, and Kansas to spend time with her children and grandchildren who were the focus of her life. Joanne continued singing and even into her eighties would still unassumingly draw awes in church, turn heads at the pool, and silence a crowd at an occasional party. Joanne was a dynamo, with an engaging personality, and a resounding laugh. She will be remembered for her playful sense of humor, her flair for décor, for her love of giving advice or recounting stories of her past to her grandchildren, for her discriminating tastes, her willingness to work hard and lend a hand on any project, her love of a freshly vacuumed carpet, ice cream and cookies, and for her unsurpassed devotion to her family.

Joanne is survived by her children, her grandchildren, niece and nephews, and by her dear friends, Ida Krandle and Grace Scalia. She was taken too suddenly, and will be missed dearly, but never forgotten.

Visitation will be held Sunday August 3, 2014 from 2:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Union Lake chapel of the Elton Black and Son Funeral Home, 1233 Union Lake Road, White Lake. Funeral mass will be held Monday August 4, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. (In State at 10:00 a.m.) at Prince of Peace Catholic Church 4300 Walnut Lake Rd, W. Bloomfield. Burial at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Arthritis Association. Share a memory at www.EltonBlackandSonWhiteLake.com