Joan George

Miss Joan George, 74, former longtime resident of Mitchell Avenue, died Saturday, August 14, 2004, at Maury Regional Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted at 5:00 P.M. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church with Rev. Frank Smith, Rev. Bob Vassar, and Rev. Jeff Jacob officiating. The family will visit with friends Wednesday from 3:00 - 5:00 P.M. in the church atrium. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 222 West Seventh Street, Columbia, Tennessee 38401. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com.Joan was born February 25, 1930, the daughter of Aubrey Thomas George and Edith Rackley George. Joan was an outstanding student and graduated from Columbia High School in 1948 as valedictorian of her class where she was chosen as the Best All Around Senior girl. At Vanderbilt University, she made lifelong friends with her Tri Delta sorority sisters. She was president of the women's student government association. She graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, among other honors. There, she received the highest honor afforded a woman student, the Lady of the Bracelet award. After graduating, she pursued her love for other cultures, which guided her further education and career. She received a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from Middlebury College in Vermont. Her sense of adventure and intellectual curiosity led to studies in Madrid, Mexico, and New York (Columbia University).Joan taught Spanish in White Plains, NY and Murfreesboro, TN. She wanted to open children's minds to the culture she loved. Eventually, health concerns forced her to retire from teaching. She returned to Columbia, where she worked as the secretary for Pleasant Heights Baptist Church for many years. Being a part of that loving church community brought her great pleasure. She also maintained her strong allegiance and loyalty to First United Methodist Church, where she had been baptized. As all who knew her saw, she maintained a big smile in the face of adversity. Her progressive spinal disorder forced limitations upon her that she fought valiantly. Survivors include one sister, Mrs. Mary White (Robert M.) Lucy, Sr. of St. Louis, Missouri; two nieces, Mrs. Meredith (F. Randolph) Knight of Atlanta, Georgia; Mrs. Celia (William) Denton, III of Arlington, Virginia; two nephews, Dr. John R. Lucy of Decatur, Georgia; Robert M. Lucy, Jr. of Seaside, Oregon; and several great nieces and great nephews. Pallbearers will be Waymon Hickman, Jim Lester, F. Randolph Knight, Robert M. Lucy, Jr., Dr. John R. Lucy, Alexander W. Smith, and Dan Sengstacke. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Bruce Strother Sunday School Class.