Patricia Joann Shoemake, known affectionately as Joann to her friends and family, passed away peacefully at her home east of Soper, Okla., on Sept. 22, 2025. Joann was born on April 14, 1939, to Alma Wilson Harrison Gooldy and Jesse Wilson.
Joann’s journey began in Choctaw County, the heart of Oklahoma, where she grew up surrounded by the warmth of her grandparents, Green “Tubby” Walker and Irrie Ketchum Walker. A girl with a competitive spirit, Joann attended Soper High School and was a decorated basketball athlete. Her cooking skills brought her the Betty Crocker award while in the 4-H club. She was the salutatorian of her senior class. On June 29, 1957 she married the love of her life, Marvin Earl Shoemake in Boswell, Okla. Together, they built a life filled with joy, laughter and cherished memories. They moved to the Dallas area to find work and raised their family in DeSoto, Texas. Joann’s legacy continues through her devoted husband, Marvin; her loving daughters: Dani Morales and her husband, Laurie Bass and her husband, and her adored grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Joann also leaves behind her caring brother, Ronald Harrison, and her dear sister, Cheryl Harrison Hein. After starting her family, she attended college in 1970 and then later pursued a career as an orthodontia chair assistant, close to her home. Joann’s roots run deep in the Soper community, where she returned when Marvin retired. He built her a beautiful home on the original land allotment from the Choctaw Nation. She was very proud to be a member of the Choctaw Tribe, and active membership in the Soper Book Club and the Choctaw Seniors and all of the fund-raising activities.
Obituary provided by Prater Lampton Mills and Coffey Funeral Home.