Joann Walker Gates Barr

JoAnn nee Walker Gates Barr, born December 24, 1936, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, was a faithful, fun, and loving mother and friend who died on October 9, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida, with her daughter Jamie and granddaughter Emma by her side.

JoAnn graduated Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg, WV, in 1954. She then earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Marietta College, Marietta, OH, 1958, and went on to work as a middle school teacher. Always volunteering, especially to help children, she also worked alongside her husband Frank Allen Gates, who pre-deceased her, in their businesses of refurbishing oil well parts for resale, and in raising cattle at their farm in Monroe County, West Virginia. After Frank’s death she relocated from Charleston, West Virginia, to Fort Myers, Florida, in 1983, residing there since. She worked for several years in running Applied Building Construction with her husband Raymond G. Barr, who also pre-deceased her. They were involved with building Med-Center Plazas throughout southwest Florida, some of the first duplexes along Santa Barbara Blvd, as well as custom homes throughout the area. She retired from Lee County Schools and the Lee Adolescent Mother’s Program in 2002, where she served as a Nursery Director and lovingly cared for the students’ children for eleven years.

JoAnn was preceded in death by her father, Oscar Stephen Walker, and mother, Alma Evelyn nee Scullin Walker.

Surviving are daughter Jamie Beth Gates (Wayne M. Burr); Robert Allen Gates; Todd Andrew Gates (ThuyVi Dinh); grandchildren Shane R. Gates (Kat); Melandy Nicole Gates Hubrel; Emma Christine Gates Galeana; Francisco Michael Gates Galeana; and step-grandson Garrett M. Burr; great grandchildren Malachi Gates, Lyric Gates, Hadleigh Grace Hubrel and Scarlet Rose Hubrel. She is also survived by sisters Carolyn Ruth (nee Walker) Rhodes and Evelyn Sue (nee Walker) Procopio. JoAnn loved her many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and is survived by her longtime friend Antontonio Lauro.

JoAnn loved God, her family, God’s creatures, and West Virginia Mountaineer football and basketball. While she lived in Fort Myers for 39 years, she always missed the West Virginia hills.

She will be buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Her wishes were to have only a private family service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memoriam to Humane Society of Parkersburg (530 29th St., Parkersburg, WV 26101) or Alzheimer’s Association, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter (PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011).