JoAnne Howell Young

JoAnne Howell Young, 87, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Asheville after a long battle with dementia.

JoAnne was born in Hartwell, Georgia, on Oct. 13, 1938, to the late Lenora Greenway Howell and Paul Emmett Howell. She was also preceded in death by her beloved husband of 37 years, Daniel Sharp Young, who died on June 27, 2025.

JoAnne was a high school English teacher for 33 years at Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, Florida. She held a master’s degree from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. She moved to Ocala, Florida, when she was 8 years old and grew up there, graduating from Ocala High School. She and her husband lived in Jacksonville Beach for 40 years until his passing last summer when she moved to Asheville to be closer to her daughter’s family.

JoAnne referred to herself as a dilettante and loved many things. She wrote a blog for several years called “Reflections of a Dilettante” in which she discussed her life in Jacksonville Beach and all her many interests. She was an early adopter of technology and loved her first Macintosh computer and iPhone. She had deep knowledge of literature and art, and she loved opera, music, and films. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, and decorating, as well as traveling. She and her husband visited Europe, the U.K., the Caribbean, and the western part of the United States many times. She was fond of cats and had an especially close bond with her beloved cat, Bella. She took up photography, poetry writing, and jewelry-making at various points during her happy life, and she enjoyed going to garage and estate sales to add to her many “collections.” She was very close to her family, and she nurtured her relationships with her beloved only daughter, her three grandchildren, her two sisters, and her many cousins and friends. Her energetic, zesty spirit will be missed beyond measure.

She is survived by her daughter, Clarice Makemson Moran and her husband, Thomas George Moran; grandchildren Katherine Elizabeth Moran, Thomas Paul Moran (Rachel), and Daniel Christopher Moran (Rachael); sisters Bobbie Mell Boyle (Ron) and Rebecca June Fertig (Howard).

The family would like to offer a special thanks to the staff at Arbor Terrace, where JoAnne received compassionate care in the last months of her life.

A memorial service will be held in Jacksonville Beach at Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home on April 9, 2026.