BORN IN 1947 IN CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS, TO FRED WHEELER AND NELLE JOHNSON BOCK. JOANNE GREW UP IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, AND GRADUATED FROM BLACKSBURG HIGH SCHOOL IN 1965. JOANNE MARRIED HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEET HEART AND FATHER OF HER SONS, PHILLIP ROGER DICKERSON, OF BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, ON JULY 16,1965, AT THE FIRST CHURCH OF GOD ON ROANOKE STREET IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA. JOANNE SERVED ALL OF HER ADULT LIFE AS AN LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE(LPN) AND WORKED FOR MANY YEARS AT VARIOUS HOSPITALS THROUGH OUT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, SUCH AS, JOHN RANDOLPH MEDICAL CENTER IN HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA, MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA/VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, CHIPPENHAUM MEDICAL CENTER IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, AND MONTGOMERY REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, ALSO AT SEVERAL NURSING HOME FACILITIES AND HOSPICES IN VIRGINIA AND FLORIDA. JOANNE HAD TO RETIRE FROM FULL TIME NURSING IN THE EARLY 1990'S DUE A WORK RELATED INJURY TO HER BACK, BUT SHE CONTINUED TO CARE FOR THE SICK IN HOSPICE WORK AND WAS INVOLVED FULL TIME AS A VOLUNTEER WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. JOANNE ALSO HELPED THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IN TEACHING MEDICAL COURSES THROUGH OUT THE YEARS. JOANNE WAS ALSO AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE BLACKSBURG CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST), IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA. BUT MOST OF ALL SHE WAS THE LOVING, CARING AND PRECIOUS MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER OF TWO SONS AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, BYRON HAMILTON AND MELISSA EANES DICKERSON, OF PILOT, VIRGINIA, TROY DEAN DICKERSON, OF BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, AND GRANDDAUGHTER AMANDA DAWN DICKERSON (DAUGHTER OF BYRON H. AND MELISSA E.DICKERSON), ALSO OF PILOT, VIRGINIA. JOANNE LOVED HER TWO SONS VERY MUCH AND SHE WAS SO VERY PROUD TO BE A/THE GRANDMOTHER OF AMANDA. JOANNE WAS PREDECEASED IN DEATH BY A SON IN JANUARY 1968, DARRELL PATRICK DICKERSON. HER SON DARRELL PATRICK DICKERSON AND HER PARENTS, FRED WHEELER AND NELLE JOHNSON BOCK ARE BURIED IN ROSELAWN MEMORIAL GARDENS IN CHRISTIANSBURG, VIRGINIA. JOANNE'S LOVING MEMORY WILL LIVE ON FOREVER IN ALL THAT KNEW HER! JOANNE WAS A VERY LOVING, CARING AND GIVING INDIVIDUAL TO ALL THAT SHE CAME TO KNOW AND LOVE! JOANNE PASSED AWAY ON MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2005 AT MONTGOMERY REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, DUE TO A TRAUMATIC SPLEEN RUPTURE AT THE AGE OF 57 YEARS YOUNG. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE FOREVER WITH THE LORD!! VISITATION WAS HELD AT MCCOY FUNERAL HOME ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2005, FROM 6:00 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M. FUNERAL WAS HELD ON THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2005, AT 11:00 A.M., AT THE BLACKSBURG CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, OFFICIATED BY DOCTOR TERRY PECK. INTERMENT FOLLOWED IN SUNSET CEMETERY IN CHRISTIANSBURG, VIRGINIA. FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THE DICKERSON FAMILY WERE SERVED BY MCCOY FUNERAL HOME AT 150 COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE SE,IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA.