Joanna J. Fields

Joanna Jane Fields was called home by Her Heavenly Father on December 21, 2017. She was born in Itasca, Texas to Dewey & Ida Mae Barnes on December 19, 1922. She fell in love with James Robert (Buddy) Fields the minute he winked at her and they were married on October 7, 1939.

In 1942, Joanna was the first female bicycle messenger at Fort Sam Houston Army base in San Antonio, Texas. After raising her children, she began a distinguished education career serving as Registrar at Northside HS & Solomon Coles JHS and then as Secretary to the Principal at Baker JHS & Cullen JHS, all in Corpus Christi, Texas. She and Buddy moved to Houston in 1973 and she served as the Assistant Director of MD Anderson Rehabilitation Center. She completed her college degree and taught at Bellaire HS before her retirement. Throughout her life, she was active in many Christian functions, including serving as President of the Women’s Aglow Chapter in Houston.

In 1985, Joanna and Buddy moved to Cleburne, Texas to care for her mother (Big Mama) who had been stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Later in their retirement, Joanna and Buddy traveled the world together: Hawaii, London, Singapore, skiing in Colorado, and this entire beautiful country (often on Amtrak trains) in which we live. Their 78-year marriage was one in a million and a source of inspiration to all who knew them. They loved every moment together but most of all they loved our God. He was always first in their lives and their hearts.

Joanna will forever be in the hearts of her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is survived by: her loving husband James Robert (Buddy) Fields; her children James (Delores) Fields, Will Fields (Zeke Brewer), and Becky (John) McGinnis; her grandchildren Christopher (Christin) Fields, Trevor Fields, Kara McGinnis, and Kathryn McGinnis; and her great-grandchildren Barrett Fields and Brecken Fields.

Joanna treasured her four grandchildren. She would keep them during the summers and they would always want to return to their Nana and Papa’s house ASAP.

Joanna is also survived by her beloved sisters, Nancy Gordon and Peggy Michaels, and numerous nieces & nephews, as well as by her special, lifelong friends including Darleen & George Williams, Betty Huneycutt, Katy & Thurman Sanders, other daughter Carol (Ethel) Stahlstrom Garst, and our spies in Cleburne: Crystal & Wayne Underwood and Beth Young.

Joanna was preceded in death by her parents, infant son Dewey Fields, sister Patricia, and brothers-in-law: Don Preston, Jerry Gordon and Charles Fox.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, December 27, 2017, from 5 pm to 8 pm. A Chapel Service will be officiated by Mike Cave on Thursday, December 28, 2017, at 9:30 am at Treviño Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Will Fields, Christopher Fields, Trevor Fields, George Williams, Joe McGinnis, and Jim McGinnis. Honorary pallbearer will be Marshall Young. In lieu of flowers, the family requests friends to make a contribution to the Alzheimer’s Association at Alz.org or to James & Delores Fields’ ministry at ComfortEncouragement.org or to the charity of their choice.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staffs of San Rafael Rehabilitation Center and Kindred Hospice who treated Mom with respect and tenderness.