Joann Scott

JoAnn McClure Scott, aged 91, passed away on December 21, 2023, at her residence in Oakleaf Village, Columbus, Ohio.

Born in Columbus on July 7, 1932, JoAnn was raised by her adoptive parents, the late Zavan McClure and Josetta (Rhyne) McClure, after the untimely passing of her biological parents, Reverend John Parker and Cloretta (Rhyne) Parker.

Throughout her life, JoAnn embodied a dedication to community and service, reflected in her illustrious career in social work and education. From counseling adjudicated delinquent teenage girls at the State of Ohio Girl’s School to teaching underprivileged preschool-age children in the Head Start Program at Southwestern City Schools, her commitment was unwavering.

During her tenure as an Urban Sociologist at the City of Columbus Model Cities Program Coordinating Unit she served as a senior planner, coordinator, and evaluator for social services, including welfare projects and daycare centers. JoAnn's involvement extended to planning pre-College Social Development Programs for incoming minority students at the Ohio State University Office of Minority Affairs and advocating for the aged and disabled through the S.S.I. Clearinghouse Project at the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging.

In her community engagements, JoAnn was a founding member of TWIG 110, dedicating over 43 years to supporting Nationwide Children’s Hospital and its auxiliary programs through dynamic fundraising, notably through the Ebony Fashion Fair which began in 1959. Her commitment extended to supporting students as a member and former Financial Secretary of the Helen Jenkins Davis Scholarship Lunch Bunch, which funded need-based scholarships for African-American students in Columbus City High Schools.

Her memberships in various organizations such as the League of Women Voters, board membership at the Community Coordinated Childcare, involvement with Project HOPE, and her leadership in spearheading the campaign to install streetlights in Berwick through the Civic Association showcased her commitment to community welfare.

JoAnn's love for the arts, music, and travel was matched only by her devotion to her family and lifelong membership of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Columbus, where her voice soared in the Senior choir.

She thrived in the congregation and her melodious soprano voice was recognizable in the Senior Choir, which was invited to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2002. She was a long-time member of the famed Paul Lawrence Dunbar Concert Choir that sang classic Black Spirituals in countless venues across the State of Ohio including awe-inspiring musical renditions of “The Seven Last Words of Christ.”

In addition to her passion for singing, JoAnn was an avid piano player who could often be heard playing classical music duets with her daughter Kim on the family piano and organ.

She was also an avid supporter of the classical and performative arts, enrolling her daughter Kim, and Son, Eddie in music lessons, and classical ballet and tap dance classes with the well-known Betty Robinson School of Dance when they were young. On countless trips to the Columbus Museum of Art and other museums and galleries, she inspired her children to appreciate the arts, music, and film.

JoAnn loved to travel and explore the world, including a period of international travel in the 70’s where she went to Haiti and the Bahamas, and later in that decade made trips to Moscow and Leningrad with her sister, Betty Jean Weaver. When air travel became less feasible, she traveled with her daughter Kim by car to iconic destinations all over the mid-West and East Coast, including of all places, Fargo, North Dakota. Along their journeys, they snapped hundreds of photos and sampled all kinds of local cuisine.

JoAnn's passing leaves a void in the lives of her loved ones. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Preceded in death by her husband, Edward C. Scott Sr., and daughter, Kimberley Scott, JoAnn is survived by her stepdaughter Brenda Burson, son Edward Scott Jr., daughter-in-law Ruby Ofori, cousin, Iyla Daniels; grandchildren Halisi Wolf, Dwaine Byrd, Lari Byrd, Cameron Scott, great-granddaughter Symone Byrd; nephew, Rookie Weaver; cousin, Kevin Daniels; sister-in-law, Betty Scott, nieces and nephews Stacey Scott, Becky Scott, Amy Scott, Mark Scott, and Andy Scott; niece Mikki Kelly and numerous other relatives and friends.

A funeral service honoring her life will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at Shiloh Baptist Church, 720 Mount Vernon Avenue in Columbus, where the family will receive friends from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service. The service will be followed by interment at Greenlawn Cemetery.

JoAnn's memory will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew and cherished her.