Joann Deweese Painter

JoAnn DeWeese Painter passed away on February 25, 2021, at her home in Great Falls. Heaven has gained a new angel, and her family will peer upon the starlit sky and see a new star shining down upon them. JoAnn was born on August 29, 1940, in Harlem, MT to Shirley and Tillie DeWeese. The family moved to Great Falls in 1949 and operated the Fairview Grocery Store. The whole family worked at the store and JoAnn so impressed the owners of the A & W with her customer service skills that they recruited her to work as a carhop in her high school years. She graduated from Great Falls High in 1958, where she made lifelong friendships with the “girls” who knew how to have fun and were always there for each other. She married Ronald Green with whom she had a daughter, Rhonda. Her marriage to Gary Lehnerz brought daughter Shirley. JoAnn started her career as a Secretary and Administrative Assistant working at Abbco, D.A. Davidson, and the City of Great Falls in the Planning Department from which she retired in 2006. JoAnn looked forward to her retirement so she could spend more time crafting, painting, working in her yard, and traveling to visit her daughters in Washington. Much to her daughter’s delight and love, JoAnn participated as a Girl Scout Troop Leader for Rhonda, and as a Mod Mom at Dee’s Dance Studio where she was able to perform with her daughter, Shirley. She was a guiding force in her daughter’s lives teaching them to be strong and independent women. JoAnn had many hobbies throughout her life, enjoying camping, fishing, and rock hounding with her parents. She was a gifted painter and enjoyed knitting, sewing, and crafting gifts for friends and family. She left behind many beautiful paintings and baby blankets for her family and friends to enjoy. In more recent years, she was a member of the Great Falls Flower Growers and loved spending time in her garden. As her physical limitations grew, she became a whiz at crossword puzzles and was an avid reader. The greatest joy in her life was spending time with her grandchildren, Katarina and Wyatt, and her great-grandchildren, Kacey and Jesse. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Harry; and niece, Jamie DeWeese. She is survived by her daughters, Rhonda (Scott) Nalley of Great Falls and Shirley (Chris) Clough of Seattle, WA; 2 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; and her nephews, Dan DeWeese and Greg DeWeese. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held this summer. Memorial contributions can be made to the Humane Society. Life is the most beautiful gift of God, and it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.