Obituaries

Name:

" Joana Vernon "

D.O.B:

7/07/1933

D.O.D

06/24/2022

Country From:

Jamaica

State / Parish:

Kingston

Place of Death

Nassau County

Service Date

07/08/2022

5:00pm

Details:

Viewing for Joana Vernon will be held on Friday July
8th,2022 from 5pm-7:30pm followed by funeral service at 7:30pm located at St.David Episcopal Church
117-35 235th Street Cambria Heights NY.

Special Info

Joana Alexandria Vernon was born in Guava Ground, Clarendon, Jamaica and was one of 13 children to her parents, Egerton Folkes and Keziah Douglas. She attended Croft’s Hill School and Arthur Seat All-Age School in Clarendon, Jamaica. In her late teens she relocated to Kingston, Jamaica to live with her aunt, Tamazina Folkes Johnson. It was during her time in Kingston that she met the love of her life Timothy Vernon. Their union produced 5 children: Paulette, Veronica, Sylvia, Michael and Jennifer, 8 grandchildren: Robert, Dewayne, Matthew, Marlon, Whitney, Jodie, William (Alex) and Anthony, and 3 great grandchildren: Caitlyn, Austin and Ethan. Joana was a very industrious woman. She was always working on something. She would say ‘The Devil finds work for idle hands”. She enjoyed taking care of her husband, children and cooking. She was an excellent cook and an excellent baker. Joana loved to bake. Her potato pudding was a family favorite. When she wasn’t cooking, she loved to plant. She planted a callaloo garden, an orange tree, pomegranate tree, banana tree, ackee tree, and more. Between cerasee, fever grass, and buzzy tea, you could say she had a “green thumb”. She was also an avid animal lover. She raised goats, pigs, and took care of her dogs and their pups. Oftentimes the grandchildren would return home from vacation in Jamaica and say, ”We love grandma’s farm”. “Mama”, as she was affectionately known by her family and relatives or “Ms. Brenda” to those in the neighborhood, was a mother to many. She looked after her younger brother as well as her father in his old age. She was very knowledgeable about Jamaican herbs and bush medicine. She could quickly whip up the right concoction to take care of her family in times of sickness. Joana was also very active; she could be seen walking briskly for miles and miles until the advanced stages of her illness. There wasn't a lazy bone in Joana’s body. After Joana raised her five children she was as some would say “itching for something to do”. In her forties she made the decision to go outside the home to work. She worked at BH Paint factory in the operation and shipment of paints for over 20 years. She would rush home from work to cook dinner for her family and look after her plants and animals. She eventually retired with a pension. She had great money management skills. She always saved and knew how to make the money she had stretch! She was always encouraging her children and grandchildren to save and not squander their money. She was always encouraging and teaching us to be better versions of ourselves. She often spoke in parables, dropping little nuggets of wisdom, or as the young people would say “dropping knowledge” Joana was a member of Phillippo Baptist Church, in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica where she worshiped until she migrated to the United States. She was a devout Christian and she would often be heard humming a tune. Some of her favorites include ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘How Great Thou Art’. Ms. Brenda was also very in-tune with what was happening in the world. In the home she kept a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King and would always talk about the honorable American Civil Rights leader. Joana strongly believed in education. She had a healthy appreciation for furthering one's education and would often remind her children and grandchildren of the value of a good education. “Labor for learning before you grow old. For learning is better than silver or gold. Silver and gold will vanish away, but a good education will never decay.” She instilled this school gem in every child she met. Joana loved and was kind to all children. At the beginning of each school year, she was known to give money to the kids in the neighborhood for school supplies and books. Whenever the neighborhood kids came by the house to visit, they knew Ms. Brenda always had a plate for them. Often her children would grumble and say she was giving away all their food, but somehow mama always had enough food, and when she didn’t, she’d give away her own plate of food to feed someone. If she ever heard of a child being in need, she would help them. Joana was a solid person, solid as a rock. She had many admirable traits: she was a counselor, a disciplinarian, and never hesitated to counsel those around her to speak properly, she was charitable, unpretentious, loyal, determined, gentle but tough, firm but flexible, patient and long suffering. She was a humble soul. Many people confided in her, she always watched her tongue and never betrayed anyone’s trust. She gave of herself very much. She was the “Giving Tree”, she gave sacrificially in an altruistic way. Mama was a devoted wife. She cared deeply for her husband. She always had the “hot pot soup” ready, for when he came home from work, regardless of the hour. She could be seen pacing from the gate in front of the house to the street if he was late coming home. She worried a great deal about her family. Joana taught us many invaluable lessons during her sickness and still teaches us in her passing. One of those lessons is ‘make haste while the sun shines’ because life is unpredictable. We watched you in health and in sickness, carrying your burdens with grace and humor, and never with self indulgence or unruly outbursts. We will continue to take care of one another and heed the words of wisdom you imparted on all of us, because they did not fall on deaf ears. Rest in Heavenly Peace!

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