Heavenly Father embraced our beloved mother and grandmother as a magnificent choir of Angels welcomed her to her eternal home. Her devoted earthly family was by her side as she was reunited in Heaven with husband, Darrell, and loving grandson Landon James Liles. JoAnn was born at the family home in Deer Creek, OK to Murlin and Dorothy Burford during the Great Depression. She was raised on the farm where she learned graciousness, humility, and compassion for others from her loving parents. Upon her graduation from Deer Creek High School, she attended Northern Oklahoma Junior College before obtaining her BS in Education from Central State College in Edmond, OK where she was active with the Wesley Foundation, Criterion Social Club, and the Pi Omega Pi Honorary Business Education Fraternity. JoAnn met the love of her life, Darrell Bennett, during a Sunday School backyard barbeque at the home of Dr. Poe Williams, pastor of the First Methodist Church of Oklahoma City. The couple had whirlwind courtship with their first date at a Halloween Sunday School hayride and barn dance. The couple married on August 14, 1959 and traveled throughout the southern US before honeymooning in New Orleans. The couple welcomed a baby daughter, Linda, into their lives in 1965. JoAnn was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother. She was a true “Farmer’s Wife.” JoAnn had a fulfilling career in education and taught business education classes at Putnam City and Putnam City West High Schools before spending 25 years at Piedmont High School where she was named 1978 Piedmont Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Service to community and church were important in her life as she served as United Methodist Women’s president at Piedmont United Methodist Church, was active in the Red Hats Society and Northcare. She worked tirelessly to help establish the Piedmont Historical Society and Museum in downtown Piedmont. In 2004, she was named “Oklahoma Woman of the Year” by the Piedmont Theta Rho Sorority. JoAnn and Darrell enjoyed traveling the world and visited many beautiful locals including Hawaii, England, Canada, Alaska, and many of the lower 48 states. Most of all, JoAnn loved her family. She is survived by her daughter Linda Chiaffitelli, granddaughter Jessica Lee Chiaffitelli and son-in-law Michael Chiaffitelli, DC, and a host of family and friends. A service in JoAnn’s honor will be at 1 p.m. Friday, January 7, 2022 , at First United Methodist Church, Piedmont with interment following in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
