JoAnn W. Smith, 69, of Springfield, MO, passed away April 24, 2021, after a courageous six year battle with cancer. She was born November 19, 1951, in Springfield, MO, to David and Norma Brockus. She accepted Jesus as her savior when she was young, and proceeded to love and follow the Lord her whole life.

JoAnn grew up in Springfield and attended public schools until leaving to start her family. Her family was the most important thing to her, she loved and nurtured her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was a very strong person, and always helped other people through tough times. She never had any complaints about her own struggles or health issues. She loved to watch the cardinals, both the baseball team and actual birds, and she would feed the birds and hummingbirds often. JoAnn was a wonderful, loving wife and friend to her husband for 33 years. She was also close with her sister, Anne, whom she enjoyed going shopping and visiting with. They always said "sisters by chance, friends by choice."

She was preceded in death by her parents, David and Norma Brockus; 3 brothers, Toby, David, and Danny; and 2 sisters, Donna and Anna Carol.

JoAnn is survived by her husband, Jeffrey Smith; children, Brenda (Mark) Tannehill, Mark (Robin) White, and Janie Sanders; grandchildren, Brittany, Hannah, Tiffany, Devon, and Skylar; 6 great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, including Carol Ann and Chuck, and many, many friends.

A celebration of JoAnn's life will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 1, 2021 at Midwest Cremation and Funeral Services, 2026 W. Woodland St, Springfield, MO.