In Loving Memory
Joanne McIver went to heaven on November 28, 2025 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Joanne passed with the grace with which she lived. Joanne was born March 25,1968 in New York, but lived most of her life in Kingman, graduating from Kingman High in 1986.
Joanne leaves behind her daughters, Breanna and Christine, whom she cherished above all else. She gave them all her heart. They brought her inspiration, purpose and a sense of fulfillment. She loved their long phone calls and visits. While spending time with them, she enjoyed cooking, baking and playing games. They welcomed Lucy, their dog, in 2020. They all brought her so much joy.
Joanne is also succeeded by her family with whom she was very close. They shared everything together. This includes her loving mother Maryanne, her sister Anne Marie, and her brothers Lewis and Darin. They all arrived together in Kingman from New York in the early 1980’s after a short stay in North Carolina. Those travel adventures brought the five of them together and evolved into a lifetime of special commitment to each other.
She shared wonderful memories with her nephews and nieces and grand nephews and grand nieces. She loved them all. Joanne genuinely cared about how they were doing and feeling. Her gentle nature will be remembered by the ones she loved.
Joanne had a beautiful smile and laugh. She could make everyone laugh along with her. She found so much beauty in life. She loved spending time by the ocean. On her annual summer trips to Oceanside, California she would walk barefoot along the beach searching for shells and sand dollars. She loved the simple things like just sitting on a blanket watching the sunset and listening to the waves. She had a gentle soul.
She enjoyed so many different things. She loved flower gardening, painting pictures of nature and taking walks. Joanne laughed more than she sang during karaoke. She especially loved Autumn. Visiting the Pumpkin Patch and eating pumpkin pie was an annual tradition. She loved watching Hallmark movies and romantic comedies. She could watch the same ones over and over. Her “go to” drink was a Bloody Mary or margarita on the rocks while laughing with her sister and friends.
As a child Joanne loved to play school. She’d take turns with siblings and friends to teach. That childhood dream became reality as she graduated from NAU with her Elementary Education degree. She became a beloved teacher, sharing her gentle spirit with hundreds of students over 20 years in the classroom. She remained friends with the teachers she worked with and the families she got to know while teaching their children. She taught until she no longer could.
Joanne was also a woman of Faith. She found peace and solace in prayer and going to church. She found the time during the last year of her life to read the daily devotional, “Jesus Calling”. This was important to her.
Joanne will be missed.
A Celebration of Life is scheduled at St. John’s United Methodist Church, 1730 Kino Avenue, on Saturday, January 3, 2026 at 10:30 am.
