JoAnne Armstrong Blevins

JoAnne Blevins lived more than 30 years with a broken heart. But Gary Blevins says, “Having a serious heart problem never lessened my wife’s ability to love. JoAnne’s concern for other people was appreciated by everyone who knew her.”

Mrs. Blevins, 80, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 1981. The 12-year Oak Harbor resident died from complications of that disease and stroke on September 21 in Skagit Valley Hospital, Mount Vernon.

Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes fibrous and loses its pumping ability. The Blevinses left their native Fort Worth in 1988 in an attempt to lengthen JoAnne’s life in Washing state. The move was a success.

“JoAnne couldn’t tolerate the Texas heat and humidity. She breathed so much better when we vacationed in Puget Sound’s gentle climate that we decided we had to live here. Family, friends, and the doctors were all amazed when JoAnne’s condition stabilized. But they were even more amazed at JoAnne’s courage. Instead of asking Why me? she sought to comfort other people who were experiencing difficulties in their lives.

“ JoAnne’s strength and stamina were limited,” Blevins says. “She only had three or four good hours a day, but she delivered homemade soup and made library runs for an elderly neighbor who was handicapped by multiple strokes. She helped a friend end a drug habit, counseled people by phone, and she helped neighborhood kids in Texas and in Washing build confidence and self esteem. She was a nurturer who saw and brought out the best in people.

“She was adored by our five granddaughters. The girls could tell Granny about anything and everything. Her empathy for others was so strong that strangers revealed startling details about their lives to JoAnne in a matter of moments. At a McDonald’s, between the time we ordered and stood there waiting for our food, I listened as she consoled the cashier–a person she had never seen before–who was telling JoAnne about her husband’s death.

“In a restaurant, a woman fell breaking a wrist, and JoAnne was the first person to offer assistance. She held the woman’s hand in her lap until we fitted a makeshift splint on the arm and had the injured woman on her feet. JoAnne also helped a woman who became sick while shopping at Safeway. She drove her home and carried her groceries into the house.

“After one of these events, JoAnne was exhausted for the rest of the day, but maybe that was part of her secret for coping with her illness,” Blevins explains. “She had faith in God, and she recognized that other people have problems, too. By looking for ways to help others, JoAnne was helping herself.”

Cardiomyopathy forced Mrs. Blevins to end her career with Bell Helicopter just short of 20 years. She was secretary to the director of training, and she served as the company’s first female loaned executive to the United Way Campaign.

Mrs. Blevins had an active church life in Fort Worth prior to her illness. She was a choir member and soloist, and she frequently was asked to sing at weddings. She was so physically fit that she taught yoga for some 20 years.

In addition to her husband and “Mom” (mother-in-law Eileen Busbee), survivors include two sons, Robert James Anderson (Paula) and Monty Joe Anderson (Emilyn) of Fort Worth, five granddaughters (Debbie, Karen, Robyn, Kelsey, and Kayla), and three great grandchildren (Brooklyn, Josh, and Maceo).

A private memorial service is planned with interment at Fort Worth’s historic Oakwood Cemetery. Memorials should be made to the American Heart Association or any other favorite charity.