Date of Birth
December 19, 1939
Date of Death
August 10, 2023
JoAnne Gordon, age 83, of Dekalb gently passed away into the evening only to wake in the celestial light of Heaven, Thursday, August 10, 2023.
She was born December 19, 1939, in Elgin, IL to loving parents, Albert and Bernice Porter.
JoAnne grew up in St. Charles before moving to Quincy, IL where she graduated from Quincy High School. After graduation, she ventured back north to Geneva, IL where she found work at the telephone company.
JoAnne met her future husband, Robert Harold Gordon, at her cousin’s wedding. They fell in love and were married on July 23, 1960. They began their new life together in Elburn.
JoAnne worked at Houghton Mifflin in Geneva for many years. She eventually left the full-time work force to be at home. She spent several seasons of her life volunteering at an animal shelter, caring for her elderly father, and then doled out smiles at the Dairy Joy in Elburn. After the passing of her loving husband, she worked several years at Accurail in Elburn just steps from her front door.
She loved her grandchildren dearly, and she made sure to spend as much time with them as possible. Movies, live performances, trips, and stories galore made the memories golden. JoAnne had a heart for animals, especially her daughter Lori’s two dogs and two cats who always found a home in her lap…all at once. She loved to go out to eat, and her favorite was China House in DeKalb where she was such a long-time customer, Joanne was treated like a member of the family.
She now leaves four children: Gayle Farran, Jeff (Gloria) Gordon, Lori Waggoner, and Trina (Clark) Kinner; 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; one sister, Sandra McPhail; many nieces, nephews, and a community of friends.
JoAnne is now reunited with her parents, Albert and Bernice Porter; husband Robert Harold Gordon; one daughter, Geri Crete; one son-in-law, Matt Waggoner; and one son, Robert Mark Gordon, in infancy.
Visitation will be Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL, from 11-12 p.m. with a funeral service to follow at 12 p.m. Interment will follow at Blackberry Twp. Cemetery, Elburn.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Tails Humane Society, https://tailshumanesociety.networkforgood.com or American Lung Association, https://action.lung.org. Memories and tributes may be left on the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com.
Visitation will be Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL, from 11-12 p.m. with a funeral service to follow at 12 p.m. Interment will follow at Blackberry Twp. Cemetery, Elburn. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Tails Humane Society, https://tailshumanesociety.networkforgood.com or American Lung Association, https://action.lung.org. Memories and tributes may be left on the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com.