Joane Avent Lee

Joane Avent Lee, born October 24, 1936, in Vance, Mississippi, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2026.

A woman of deep devotion and steady care, Joane built a life centered on faith, family, and service to others. She graduated from Clarksdale High School with the class of 1955 and, after finishing business school, worked in Memphis at the Cotton Exchange. She later worked at the Chancery Clerk’s Office at the Hernando Court House and went on to serve as a loan officer at 3rd National Loans. In time, she retired so she could care for her grandbabies, a role she treasured and embraced with all her heart.

Joane loved her family dearly, and among those who knew and loved her most, she was known simply and lovingly as “Nana.” She found joy in the everyday gifts of life—reading, watching football and wrestling, dancing, and cooking—and she shared that joy generously with those around her. She also gave of herself as a volunteer for the Girls Home. Her faith remained an important part of her life, and she was a member of Victory Baptist Church in Hernando.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, George Wayne Lee, the love of her life, whom she married on August 8, 1958; by her father, William Ruthven Avent; her mother, Hadye Lee Haylie; her son, Harvey Lee; her sisters, Rebecca Bennett, Erline Lockwood, and Mildred Turner; and her brother, Edward Avent.

Joane leaves behind a family who will continue to cherish her love and her memory. She is survived by her son, Michael Lee of Hernando, Mississippi, and his wife, Mary Helen; her daughter, Carla Smith of Hernando, and her husband, Mark; and her daughter-in-law, June Lee of Hernando. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Megan Cox and her husband, Jeff; Clint Byrum and his wife, Shelly; Nancy Jo Edwards and her husband, Kyle; Lindsey Astugue and her husband, Kevin; Mindy Rudell and her husband, Raymond; Hunter Lee; Sunny Lee; Dalton Smith; Dylan Smith; and Weslie Thornton and her husband, Nic.

Her legacy continues in the lives of her great-grandchildren, Paisley, Leland, Lacie, Charlie, Emilee, Helena, Swayze, James, Turner, Annie, Ford, Hollis, and Danny. Each of them was part of the great love that filled Joane’s life, and each carries forward the warmth of a grandmother and great-grandmother whose presence meant so much.

Visitation will be held on Friday, September 11, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Victory Baptist Church, 4353 Hwy 51 S, Hernando, Mississippi 38632. The funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. at the church. Interment will take place at Hernando Memorial Park Cemetery, 2805 Magnolia Drive, Hernando, Mississippi 38632.

Joane Avent Lee will be remembered with love for the life she lived, the family she cherished, and the kindness and devotion she gave so freely. Her memory will remain a blessing to all who knew her.