Joanna Holmes

(From Bath-Naylor Funeral Home)

Joanna Lynn Holmes passed away to be with our Lord and Savior at 8:28AM on August 28, 2022 at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, KS. 

She was born Joanna Lynn Lucas on January 10, 1961 in Pittsburg, Kansas to Margie Eichhorn and Larry Lucas. In a household of five children, Joanna was the middle child with two older brothers, who were her best friends growing up. Being so close in age and the only girl at the time, Joanna had to become "one of the boys," and would always brag that she could play football, hold her own with her brothers and was tougher than a lot of boys in the neighborhood.

A few years later, her baby sister Elaine joined the mix and she finally had a partner in crime against the boys. Spending most of her childhood in Pittsburg, the family moved to Clovis, New Mexico for a short period of time and that is when the last child, her baby brother Wayne arrived. Having previously been a tom boy, Joanna took to her little brother, looking after him almost like a second mom. She was a very devoted, kind and protective big sister.

Joanna attended Pittsburg schools including Washington Grade School, Lakeside Junior High, and Pittsburg High School where she participated in a variety of sports. She graduated High School in 1979. 

Around this same time, she met a persistent young man who was head over heels in love with her; John Holmes. After many pleas, she accepted a date with him and the rest was history. They were married on June 15, 1984. They had three children between 1987 and 1990. After the birth of her third child, she decided to go back to school full time to pursue her goal of becoming a nurse.

Having three children under the age of five, she went to school full time, worked on the side as a cosmetologist to help support her family and graduated from Pittsburg State University's Nursing Program in 1995. As a nurse, she worked in all aspects of the profession, including the ER, Gen Surg, and even worked for a short period of time at the Student Health Center on Pitt State's Campus. Joanna took pride in being a nurse and was always admired by co-workers and all of her patients loved her, and she loved her patients; their well-being always came first. There is no greater example of this than when she was working at St. John's Hospital in 2011 when the notorious F5 tornado hit Joplin, MO.

Joanna was the nurse who advised the hospital to initiate Code Gray, which allowed all floors to take necessary measures to get the patients to a secure location prior to the tornado hitting the hospital. If it wasn't for her actions, many more patients could have been lost in that natural disaster that actually moved the gigantic hospital six inches off of its foundation.

Joanna adored her children, always taking pride in their athletic ability and traveled all over the country for their athletic tournaments. On September 16, 2015, her first and only grandchild was born to her eldest son and his wife, a baby girl named Presley. Over the past six years, Presley and her "Nana" developed a special relationship and loved to sit and watch videos of Elvis Presley performing live. It was one of their favorite hobbies and Presley always looked forward to spending time with her Nana. A lifelong animal lover, Joanna was always willing to give food and nurture animals that she found without a home, and was always willing to adopt animals that took a liking to her.

In March 2020, Joanna was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a double mastectomy, numerous chemo/radiation treatments all while still working full time as a nurse. Tragically, her husband John contracted COVID in late September 2021 and passed away from the disease on October 14, 2021. Losing her best friend was something Joanna struggled with and up until her death, still said she missed John every second of every day.

Joanna's cancer returned in the spring of this year, infecting her spine, pelvis and liver, but she refused to give up. She continued to fight up until the very end. Joanna will always be remembered as a kind and caring person, who adored her family, profession and of course all of her animals. She was always the first to speak up and defend those she loved, stood by her convictions and lived life her way.

A lifelong Catholic, she has been a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Pittsburg, Kansas her entire life.

She is survived by her three children, Brodie of Pittsburg, Keegan (Logan) of Pittsburg, Paige of Pittsburg; her granddaughter, Presley Holmes of Cherokee, KS; her parents, Margie Eichhorn of Pittsburg, KS, Larry (Virginia) Lucas of Weir, KS; her siblings, Clint Lucas of Pittsburg, KS, Bruce (Marsha) of Prospect, TN, Elaine (Matt) Price of Orlando, FL, and Wayne Lucas of Rogers, AR; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A parish rosary will be recited at 6 pm on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at Bath-Naylor Funeral Home in Pittsburg, KS. Family will receive friends following the rosary from 6:30 to 8 pm at the funeral home.

Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on Thursday, September 1, 2022 at 1 pm, burial will follow at Highland Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the S.E.K Humane Society and/or Memorial Masses to Our Lady of Lourdes in remembrance of Joanna Holmes.

Friends may drop off or mail memorials to the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home, 522 S. Broadway Pittsburg, KS 66762.