You can tell Matt enjoys writing obituaries because they are always well written and entertaining. I feel like I personally meet each person he writes about.

When my sister and I spoke with Matt for my dad's obituary, we both felt like we'd spent time in therapy. It was so nice to be able to talk about my dad and his life. And seeing how tenderly and thoughtfully Matt introduced Dad to the world was even better.

Thanks to the entire obituary-writing staff for a job well done. It's one of my first stops when I open the Post each day.

Celebrating the Life of Joanna Shaker
A Life Well Lived: August 9, 1942 - November 7, 2007
On Wednesday afternoon Joanna, "Mom", Shaker's long battle with inflammatory lung disease and recently diagnosed throat cancer ended. With her loving family and pastor surrounding her, she passed away to the sound of hymns, poems, Psalms and prayers - to continue her walk with The Lord in heavenly peace. Together with her guardian angel of 65 years, she found her way into the arms of our Loving Father.
To her family, she was a model of abiding faith. She lived her life following the parable of the mustard seed and the mountain. In speaking at her memorial service, Jo's younger sister, Anita, remembered once discussing faith in Christ with Jo's daughter, Marylee. Anita recalled that Jo having overhead this conversation, said, "You know, I don't talk about it much, but I'd be willing to bet that my faith is stronger than you alls."
Joanna was born in San Antonio Texas to the late Robert and Catherine Patricia Drummond on August 9, 1942. Jo's experience with chronic illness began at an early age when she was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease. While her legs were both casted for a year at age 12, she would wonder, "What can I do to get through this?" Her mother's advice was prayer, and the answer to Jo's prayer came in the form of a personal guardian angel and relationship with Christ. This relationship would guide her through not only that turbulent time in her life but would continue to foster her faith throughout other challenges. Her children recall a favorite poem and song "Footprints in the Sand," which reflected a philosophy of life that she would teach through example.
Her twin sister Diana recalls fond memories growing up. Every Saturday morning they would listen to Big John and Little John on the radio ... Teddy Bear's Picnic. Jo liked to take care of her twin sister, and was her most ardent defender and protector. As air-force brats, they moved frequently around the country and to far away places like Korea and Japan. Di said she didn't mind moving because she recalls that she always took their best friend with her.
Whether playing FBI and writing down neighbor's license plates while following "suspects" around at a distance, or tromping through sewers in Japan to find bakery treats, they were the closest of friends. Jo was always everyone's friend and the life of the party. She was queen of her senior prom.
Jo's vocation to community service became manifest in her in her young adult life. Working as a medical assistant in Watts California during the riots, she cared for the wounded on the front lines.
Jo was blessed with J Catherine Patricia during her first marriage. Jo and Bill met at a party, and after a whirlwind courtship of less than a month, they were married. This was a geographically inconvenient courtship since Bill was working in a town near Death Valley, which required long commutes to the Los Angeles area several times a week. Although commute time from the desert to LA was less than 4 hours, since Bill drove his Ferrari racecar. Worried about these commutes with little or no sleep, and since Bill had already moved to the top of Jo's marriage list, they eloped to Mexico and got married. This was January 28, 1966 - about a month following their first date a few days before Christmas. Jo was 23 and Bill, the confirmed bachelor, was 28. Bill's folks insisted on giving them a big church wedding. Both Methodists, the Christian wedding took place on March 13 in the Downey Methodist Church. Bill fainted at the alter - but that is another story for a later time.
The new Shaker family of three lived for a brief period in a town near Death Valley and then moved on to Michigan where Marylee was born. Although ultrasound didn't exist at the time, Jo knew that she was carrying a little girl, being so convinced that she outfitted the room that she had painted pink with a canapé crib. Bill says that he has never seen a face as radiant as Jo's when she lifted up from the gurney and said that they had another little girl. Although they had planned to name her Mary Beth, Marylee was named for Bill's mom because she was born on her birthday.
In Michigan, Jo graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Nursing. She was a delegate for Ronald Reagan to the 1976 Republican Convention in Kansas City.
Reagan has just lost the nomination to Ford, and tax limitation, a constitutional Amendment that Bill had written for Michigan had just been defeated. Jo said: "before I die I want to see tax limitation passed and Ronald Regan elected." In 1978, tax limitation was passed in the state of Michigan, and in 1980, Ronald Regan was elected president. Jo continued political advocacy across the state of Michigan appearing frequently on radio and TV shows.
All of the children had a natural flare for acting. Marylee was the star of her third grade play - belting out the song "I'd rather be a horse," in the voice of Ethel Merman - which Jo would still recall in her later years. Not to be outdone, J had the lead in a high school play in her junior year. Actually, J was the sole actor on stage in the performance of "Dial M for Murder." Mom thought that this should have been taped and run on national TV. Matt and Marc were also stars of the show from junior high through high school. Jo was incredibly proud of her children.
When Matt was a kid, he had a very difficult time speaking due to a stuttering problem. Mom was his rock and fought for him. She was his partner in his fight and struggle as he worked with pioneers in the field of speech therapy using innovative computer technology. He said, "Mom was always there for me and gave me the strength to know I could accomplish anything I desired and set my mind to spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually."
In 1979, the Shakers moved to Arlington Virginia. Continuing her commitment to advocacy, outreach, and community service, Jo founded Total Patient Care, a home care and hospital staffing nursing company. Here she worked closely with Hospice, providing staff and training.
Jo was very concerned about sick people in need of home care "falling through the cracks" and not receiving necessary services. To address this she founded the Heart to Heart foundation, which raised money to provide free home nursing care to the needy. She also helped to provide funding for cancer vaccine research through George Washington University. She pioneered improvements in patient access through her work to eliminate excessive regulations in the home health care field, and during this time, she and Bill founded the American Council for Health Care Reform.
In her last decade, Jo certainly had her cross to bear. With worsening lung disease following a prolonged ICU stay in 1998, she continued to struggle with multiple medical problems and pain, which limited her significantly. One recent memory she cherished was a moment of bedside prayer with Marylee several months ago. The kids know that Mom could not have made it through these years without their Dad, who provided constant companionship and care. Over the past few months this care had intensified and Bill had nursed Jo 24/7. Bill feels so blessed for these last few months and this last chapter of Jo's life, saying that they have never been closer spiritually and in every way.
Joanna Shaker's life and death were an inspiration to her family.