Joan "JoAnn" Dance, age 83 of Paducah, passed away on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 6:05 p.m. at Baptist Health Paducah.

Joan was a mother figure to dozens of youngsters all over McCracken County, but she was especially adored by her five biological children, all who were born before she reached the age of 21. Even though she was named JoAnn by her mother and lovingly called this name by her family and friends, she began going by Joan when she found her birth certificate contained an error that left the second "n" off of her name.

She started painting as a hobby, but it later became a passion. She painted hundreds of paintings some of which now adorn the walls of homes, businesses, schools, are publications, and most notably hanging in the Jefferson Room of Library of Congress in Washington DC.  In addition to her amazing folk art, Joan was a poet, an author of children's books, and her family's historian.

She was a member of Clay Street Christian Church until the doors closed. At Clay Street, Joan sang in the choir, wrote and directed plays, was the Sunday School Superintendent and engaged in a myriad of other activities.  Joan had been a member of Washington Street Missionary Baptist church for the last 14 years.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Eddie Edmonds Jr., and most recently her second husband, Tommy Lee Dance, her mother, Georgia Hannah Grubbs, her father, Sam Jones, her brother, "Little John" Grubbs, her niece, Donna Lynn Ferguson and her brothers on her father's side, Sam Jones, Will Jones, Robert Lee "Red" Jones.

She leaves to cherish her love and sweet memories: her five children, Donna Jones Baker (Greg) of Cincinnati, OH, Eddie Edmonds III (Deborah) of Paducah, Kenneth Ray Edmonds of Cadiz, KY, Debra Lynn Edmonds of Paducah and Dameta JoAnn Sanders of Phoenix, AZ; one sister, Jewel Marie Ferguson of Paducah, six grandchildren, Stephanie Marie Reynolds (Paul) of Severn, MD, Quehemiah Edmonds (Sara) of Vallejo, CA, Jayme Nicole Williams (John) and Brittany Noel Roston (Jeremy) both of Phoenix, AZ, Terrence Williams (Melissa) and Gregory Williams (Andrea) both of Houston, TX; several great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, adoring nieces, cousins and friends.

Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, April 22, 2023, 1:00 p.m. at Washington Street Missionary Baptist Church with Reverend Raynarldo Henderson.  Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Family and friends may call at the church from 12 noon until the funeral hour.