Our beloved mother, Joan T. Hickman peacefully joined her heavenly Father on September 14, 2020 at the age of 95.

Joan was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1925 to Thomas and Fannie Smythe and subsequently moved to Illinois at an early age. She has been a resident of Florida since 1953. Before retirement Joan had been District Office Manager for Remington Rand in Peoria, Illinois, Office Manager for Brigham Elementary School in Winter Haven, Florida, secretary for First Presbyterian Church in Vero Beach, and a proud member of St. Helen’s Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband William, a WWII Veteran, her parents Thomas and Fannie Smythe, her sisters Fannie D. Smythe and Betty A. Dust, and her half sister Donna M. Drew. Surviving Joan are her son, David Hickman; her daughters Nancy Cutright, Debra Jones and Pamela Wilson and her half-brother Thomas Drew. She was a very proud grandmother of 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made in her honor to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town (14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010), VNA Hospice House (901 37th Street, Vero Beach, Fl 32960), Baby Girl Horse Rescue and Veteran Therapy Ranch (13575 79th Street, Fellsmere, FL 32948), or to a charity of your choice.

In her retirement Joan loved crafting, bingo, reading, gardening, bird watching, and turtle walks. She loved to watch the news and discuss politics but most of all she adored spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who knew and loved our mother as the very special lady she was. We could not have asked for a more loving, caring and giving Mother.

We love you dearly and you will always be with us, an angel among us, now an angel watching over us.

If roses grow in heaven, Lord pick a bunch for us, Place them in our Mother’s arms and tell her they’re from us. Tell her we love her and miss her, and when she turns to smile, Place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for awhile. Because remembering her is easy, we do it every day. But there’s an ache within our hearts that will never go away.