JoAnne Gibbs Collins died on March 21, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
JoAnne was born on March 5, 1936, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to Myrle Barker Gibbs and Lloyd Tolbert Gibbs.
At the age of two, JoAnne’s family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she lived until 1954. She often told friends that she had an idyllic childhood playing Mother May I, Kick the Can, and Hide-and-Seek; riding bikes; ice skating on a frozen pond behind a neighbor’s house; and even putting on a mini circus in a neighbor’s backyard.
Her grade school years took place during World War II, and she frequently shared memories of school hallways filled with newspapers and balls of tin foil collected for the war effort. She recalled an army tank visiting her school to encourage families to buy war bonds. Her mother encouraged her many interests, enrolling her in ballet, including pointe, piano, Campfire Girls, and figure skating. Ice skating became her passion during high school, where she skated with the Tulsa Figure Skating Club and performed in annual ice shows. She also served as editor of the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church high school newspaper.
JoAnne attended the University of Oklahoma in 1954, where she joined Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. That summer, she took courses at the University of Colorado. In the fall, she transferred to the University of Alabama, where she met her future husband, Clifton “Bo” Collins. They were married on June 1, 1957, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. JoAnne completed her degree in elementary education at Millsaps College in 1958 and later earned a master’s degree in education from Mississippi College in 1965. She was a member of two educational honor societies: Kappa Delta Pi and Kappa Delta Epsilon.
Early in their marriage, Bo served as a Marine and was stationed for two years at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The couple then moved to Wheaton, Illinois, where Bo worked for Midwestern Contractors and JoAnne taught school in Glen Ellyn for two years. They later settled in Yazoo City, Mississippi, where they spent the next 59 years raising their two children, Clifton G. Collins III and Kathleen Ann Collins Olivieri.
JoAnne taught fourth grade at Woolfolk Elementary School in Yazoo City for 23 years. She had a teacher’s voice that could command attention and a strong belief in doing things well and doing them on time. She was an “orchestrator” by nature, always keeping lists and making sure everything was done, often wishing it had been done yesterday.
A woman of deep faith, JoAnne was an active member of First Methodist Church in Yazoo City, where she served as an MYF leader, children’s Sunday school teacher, and leader of women’s Bible studies. In her later years, she became active in the Daughters of the American Revolution, where she gave programs and contributed her time generously. JoAnne’s love of history and family led her to update and document her family’s genealogy.
She never stayed idle. Whether organizing, teaching, researching, or creating scrapbooks for her children and grandchildren, JoAnne found joy in preserving memories and bringing people together. She especially treasured time spent with her family at her cabin on Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma.
JoAnne had a beautiful smile, a strong presence, and a grateful heart. She knew she had lived a blessed life and was deeply thankful for her faith, her friends, and her family.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 57 years, Clifton “Bo” Collins, Jr.; and her brother, Richard Russell Gibbs.
She is survived by her son, Clifton Garnet Collins III (Robbie); her daughter, Kathleen Collins Olivieri (Ralph); six grandchildren, JoAnna Marie Collins, Kalynn Rebecca Collins Woods, Benjamin Lloyd Collins, Elizabeth Rebecca Collins Carter, Kelly Kathleen Olivieri Jones, and Rachal Maryanna Olivieri; and great-grandchildren, Michael Aiden Collins, Hayden Muirhead, Kason Bryce Woods, Ann Marie Collins Rushing, Jamie Ann Carter, and J.W. Carter, 4 nieces; Chere Gibbs, Teresa Gibbs Noble, Lois Boutwell Herring, JoLynn Boutwell Vickers and 2 nephews Russell Scott Gibbs and Alan Collins.
A memorial service will be held on April 11 at 11:00 am at First Methodist Church in Yazoo City, Mississippi. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in JoAnne’s honor to First Methodist Church in Yazoo City (fmcyazoo.org/online-giving) or the Daughters of the American Revolution (dar.org/support-dar).
