With profound sorrow and eternal hope, we, the family of Joan Marcia Johnson, announce her passing at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2026. A devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, intercessor, evangelist, and inner-city missionary, Joan lived a life rooted in faith, service, and an unwavering love for Jesus Christ.

Joan Marcia Johnson ( nee Yearby, formerly Jenkins) was born on April 4, 1939, at Providence Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. She was the oldest of five sisters, born to Cora Lee Yearby. When Joan was a young girl, her mother married Harry Eugene Jenkins, who embraced Joan as his daughter and remained a devoted, loving father throughout his life. Raised in Chicago by Cora and Harry, Joan grew up alongside her sisters and later attended Parker High School.

After high school, Joan became a first-generation college student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Her college years coincided with the Civil Rights Movement, and she participated in campus protests and sit-ins advocating for Black people’s rights and equality. She pursued her love of learning by studying English and History, graduating from SIUC’s Teachers College with degrees in both disciplines. After completing her university studies, Joan returned to Chicago and began a career at the Chicago Public Library, Pullman Branch, where she worked for 11 years. She later entered the banking industry and worked at Continental Bank. Known for her integrity and trustworthiness, Joan was entrusted with supervising the bank’s locked-box area.

After her banking tenure, Joan embarked on another chapter of service by opening an in-home daycare. For more than two decades, she lovingly cared for children in her home. Her ministry extended far beyond the children entrusted to her care. She also supported their mothers through spiritual guidance, education, and encouragement. For many of the families she served, she was far more than a childcare provider; she became a trusted confidant, mentor, and source of wisdom.

Joan also found joy in life’s simple pleasures. She loved gardening, reading, sewing, listening to praise music, drinking coffee, and fellowshipping with others. Whether tending her garden, settling in with a good book, or enjoying a cup of coffee and conversation, Joan appreciated the quiet moments that brought peace and connection to her life. She especially treasured time spent in fellowship with others, where conversation, laughter, encouragement, and her love for the Lord were never far apart.

A beloved presence in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood, Joan was affectionately known throughout the community as “Ms. Johnson” and “Ms. J.” Her home and heart were open to many, and she often served as a mother or grandmother figure to those in need. Joan loved family deeply and was a mother in every sense of the word: biological, adoptive, foster, and spiritual. She was a proud grandmother and great-grandmother, as well as a neighborhood grandmother to generations of people who knew they could find love, wisdom, correction, prayer, and encouragement from her.

For Joan’s daughters, faith was not reserved for Sundays. It was a way of life. On school mornings, she regularly gathered her daughters for early-morning prayer and Bible study before they began their day. Through those mornings, she taught them to seek God first, know His Word, and depend on prayer throughout their lives. Joan also made it clear to her daughters that nothing escaped God’s attention. As they grew up, she often told them, “You cannot get away with anything; the Lord will always let me know.” It became one of those unforgettable sayings that reflected both her strong faith and her watchful, discerning approach to mothering her children.

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons Joan gave her daughters was the example of extraordinary faith amid adversity. When circumstances were difficult, Joan prayed. When the answer was uncertain, she trusted God. When life presented obstacles that seemed impossible to overcome, her faith remained steadfast. Her daughters did not simply hear their mother talk about faith; they watched her live it. That example became part of their inheritance. The early-morning prayers, the Scriptures studied before school, the lessons taught at home, and the faith demonstrated during difficult seasons planted seeds that would continue to bear fruit for generations.

Above all else, Joan’s greatest passion was Jesus Christ. Her faith was not merely something she professed; it was the foundation of her life. For more than five decades, Joan served as an evangelist and stateside missionary in her hometown of Chicago. She carried the Gospel beyond the church walls and ministered to people whom society often overlooked or rejected, including individuals involved in gangs, prostitution, drug activity, and crime, as well as orphans and others facing hardship. Joan saw beyond circumstances and believed that every person was worthy of hearing about the saving and transforming love of Jesus Christ.

Joan was a proud and faithful member of Joy Christian Fellowship and among its founding church-planting members. Throughout her years of service, she held numerous leadership and ministry roles, including Elder, Church Mother, Board Member, Assistant Finance Manager, Lead Intercessor, and Evangelist in the Outreach Ministry. Prayer was one of Joan’s greatest ministries. She was a dedicated intercessor who deeply believed in the power of prayer and faithfully stood in the gap for her family, church, community, and countless others. Her prayers strengthened many, her words encouraged them, and her witness introduced others to Christ.

In November 2025, Joan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Even as her physical strength declined, her faith remained steadfast. She believed in her healing until the very end. Her family finds comfort in knowing the healing she believed in is now complete. She is whole, free from sickness and pain, and in the presence of her Savior and the love of her life, Jesus Christ.

Joan leaves to cherish her memory and continue her legacy her daughters, Reverend Dr. Mallory (Michael) Gary, Kisha Johnson, Nicole Shepherd, Sheila Johnson, Meredith Davis, Teresa Moss, and Crystal Walton; her sisters, Pamela Adams and Phyllis Jenkins; 17 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, spiritual children, friends, neighbors, and church family who mourn her transition while celebrating the extraordinary life she lived. She was preceded in death by her parents, Cora Lee Jenkins and Harry Eugene Jenkins; her sisters, Artist “Cookie” Smith and Patricia “Pat” Staples; her grandson, Kyle Johnson; her granddaughter, Tiara Rucker; and her great-nephew, Xander Casmere.

Joan Johnson was a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime woman. She embodied wisdom, intercession, boldness, compassion, and extraordinary faith. She loved fiercely, prayed fervently, served faithfully, and spoke boldly about the Savior to whom she devoted her life. Her physical presence will be deeply missed, but her influence spans far beyond the years she lived. Her legacy lives on through her daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, spiritual children, church family, neighborhood, and the countless lives touched by her ministry. Most importantly, her legacy lives on in the many souls she led to salvation and in the generations who learned from her what it means to pray, serve, persevere, and believe. Joan spent her life telling others about Jesus. Now she is in His presence. Her work on earth is complete, but the fruit of her life remains.

Ministry of comfort was lovingly entrusted to Southern Cremation and Burial Services of Murphysboro, Illinois.