I will probably spend a while re-formulating the words on this post over time, but it's hard to describe this very special woman. Of course, I only knew her for a few years, and after listening to all of the stories about her, I realize that I never really knew her. I saw her beauty and her heart, which was a great model for me, but I sadly wish that I had not let time separate me from her.
Joann and her husband, Wayne, had 4 boys but only the youngest was at home when I met them. I was young when I met them - around 10 - and both of them have the most amazing presence. Wayne would immediately envelop you in his larger than life hugs, and I cannot adequately explain my impression of her.
From the time I was 10 until the last time I saw her at 22, I was always taken with just how gorgeous she is. Then, I got to know her better and realized that she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I learned that she was a serious camper, that she was an amazing cook, a marvelous mom, and the Love of Wayne's life. She adored her sons and everyone around her, and she took life by the marrow and enjoyed it.
There are so many times that I secretly wished that I could be like her. Of course, no amount of stretching my legs with rope would lengthen them like hers. I had seen a picture of her at her house, and I mentioned that she looked like Sophia Loren, and she smiled and simply said, "No, I look better." She wasn't cocky, but rather confident and sometimes impish. I know that she liked to say and do things to get a rise out of people, but she was never mean spirited.
As one of the young women who was always going in and out of their house, I always paid attention to Scotty. I would do whatever I could to get his attention, but he was older than I and definitely not interested in a short, young thing like me - especially given his standards for women provided by his mother. Joann noticed my interest in her son (yeah, mine and every other girls' interest in the South Bay), and she was very polite in letting me down easy for him. While I did face reality (he barely knew I was breathing), I didn't stop checking him out for a long time as there is nothing wrong with noticing good looking men, right?
I had also noted that she loved "old movies." I learned from her sons that she was enthralled with Hollywood and was part of it, but did not revolve her life around it. I, too, loved the old movies, and she shared a few with me. On one occasion, I happened to mention my love of Sean Connery. She told me how she had met him and that he had flirted with her. I was all over this story, and I told her that she was indeed the luckiest woman I knew - she had Wayne AND Sean had flirted with her. How awesome was that! Of course, I learned more about that story from her son and was again amazed by how little I truly knew her.
I knew she had been a model, but I heard more of the stories of just how "in demand" she was, but she always chose her family over a career. I was struck with how humble she was about herself. She knew that she had a commanding presence, but she never used it except to make a few dollars. Joann loved the modeling, and as a mother now, I can appreciate that she was modeling even after having children.
The best story I heard was the love story between her and Wayne. As her eldest son, Glen, told everyone, you never heard about Joann Waddell or Wayne Waddell; it was always, Wayne and Joann. While they could be separate from each other, they did not breathe without the other one. You could see their eyes sparkle for one another, and even I saw this as a child and young adult.
I heard of how Wayne had just gotten out of the Army and was on a date when he went to a friend's house. Joann was also at this friends house, and when Wayne walked into a room, he found a beautiful woman on the floor playing craps. Wayne said to the woman, "Hello there, Slim" and they started dating. Wayne always called Joann, "Slim" and I remembered hearing him call her that when I would visit. According to the story, Wayne and Joann dated for a while, and he would shower her with beautiful flowers which he was apparently lifting from a mortuary. Joann initially decline his marriage proposal, but when he stopped calling her, she realized how much she loved him. They were married for 59 years when she died, and my heart aches for Wayne knowing that his Love is now gone.
There were plenty of times that I would see them find each other at church during a break, and how Wayne would look at her. I always told myself that I wanted to find a man who would look at me like that! Joann would touch the side of his face, give him a kiss and then move on to where she was going. I listened to a story from their 3rd son, Chris, where he said that when Wayne entered the house and greeted Joann, he would give her a big hug and grab her butt and wink at Chris.
All of the boys said that the best thing that Wayne and Joann gave them was the sight of their love. Each of them said how important it was for them to see their displays of love, and I was really warm with the knowledge that our girls always see Ken and me loving around the house.
Everyone who talked about Joann said that she loved to learn. She was an avid reader, traveler, and always loved to learn new things. She was apparently getting ready to go to Mexico in order to learn Spanish. I remember her playing volleyball and waterskiing when I knew her. In fact, Joann was the one who taught me how to waterski on Lake Mead. I loved those trips with her. What I didn't know was that she didn't learn how to play volleyball until she was almost 50! I'm ashamed to admit my lethargic lifestyle at 37 as compared to hers.
I had also noted that she loved "old movies." I learned from her sons that she was enthralled with Hollywood and was part of it, but did not revolve her life around it. I, too, loved the old movies, and she shared a few with me. On one occasion, I happened to mention my love of Sean Connery. She told me how she had met him and that he had flirted with her. I was all over this story, and I told her that she was indeed the luckiest woman I knew - she had Wayne AND Sean had flirted with her. How awesome was that! Of course, I learned more about that story from her son and was again amazed by how little I truly knew her.
The best story I heard was the love story between her and Wayne. As her eldest son, Glen, told everyone, you never heard about Joann Waddell or Wayne Waddell; it was always, Wayne and Joann. While they could be separate from each other, they did not breathe without the other one. You could see their eyes sparkle for one another, and even I saw this as a child and young adult.
I heard of how Wayne had just gotten out of the Army and was on a date when he went to a friend's house. Joann was also at this friends house, and when Wayne walked into a room, he found a beautiful woman on the floor playing craps. Wayne said to the woman, "Hello there, Slim" and they started dating. Wayne always called Joann, "Slim" and I remembered hearing him call her that when I would visit. According to the story, Wayne and Joann dated for a while, and he would shower her with beautiful flowers which he was apparently lifting from a mortuary. Joann initially decline his marriage proposal, but when he stopped calling her, she realized how much she loved him. They were married for 59 years when she died, and my heart aches for Wayne knowing that his Love is now gone.
There were plenty of times that I would see them find each other at church during a break, and how Wayne would look at her. I always told myself that I wanted to find a man who would look at me like that! Joann would touch the side of his face, give him a kiss and then move on to where she was going. I listened to a story from their 3rd son, Chris, where he said that when Wayne entered the house and greeted Joann, he would give her a big hug and grab her butt and wink at Chris.
All of the boys said that the best thing that Wayne and Joann gave them was the sight of their love. Each of them said how important it was for them to see their displays of love, and I was really warm with the knowledge that our girls always see Ken and me loving around the house.
Everyone who talked about Joann said that she loved to learn. She was an avid reader, traveler, and always loved to learn new things. She was apparently getting ready to go to Mexico in order to learn Spanish. I remember her playing volleyball and waterskiing when I knew her. In fact, Joann was the one who taught me how to waterski on Lake Mead. I loved those trips with her. What I didn't know was that she didn't learn how to play volleyball until she was almost 50! I'm ashamed to admit my lethargic lifestyle at 37 as compared to hers.
This was a great picture of her, and one of my memories of her at the beach. Nothing stopped Joann from loving life.
Again, I am sad to admit that I did not do more to stay in contact with this great lady while traveling through my own life. After listening to the great stories about her, I wish I had known her better, and I wish I would have done more to find her these last few years when I thought about her so much. I cannot imagine the pain that her family is feeling at her loss, and I mourn for her myself more than I thought I would. So many memories have flooded back to me, but I can actually feel her gentleness and her unconditional love that she shared with everyone who was around her.
I will do more to remember her as I go through my own life and impart some of her to my own daughters.
Everyone misses you Joann. God bless you for what you provided to so very many!
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