Jo-Ann was born November 7th, 1940 to Donald and Myra J. Yoakam and for the next 18 years called Port Angeles, Washington home.

Jo-Ann grew up in the time where poodle skirts were worn to school dances, not for dress up, but part of the fashion statement, and drooled over seeing Elvis Presley LIVE in concert. From 1959-1962 Jo-Ann served our country as a Naval Hospital Corpsman in the US Navy, where she met and married her first love, Warren Guest. They spent the next 13 years together raising their two beautiful children, Christine and Charles.

In the mid 70’s they parted as friends and Jo-Ann met Jesse Jarvi. He was a handsome bass player in a band and they had an instant connection. He fell in love with her bleached blonde hair and purple hot pants, and she fell in love with his handsome looks and sexy bass playing skills. From then on, they would create a life of adventure together. They took several trips cross country on their motor cycles. On one trip, Jo-Ann was 8 months pregnant with her third child, Jessica. They loved sand dune trips to Glamis and holiday vacations in San Felipe, Mexico.

Jo-Ann was a beautician for over 20 years and owned her own business called JJ’s Beauty Salon. In 1991 they decided to call Mesa, AZ their home and lived a life of weekend barbecues and pool parties. When they were ready to “slow down” they poured their hearts and souls into retirement life on the beach in San Felipe. Jo-Ann poured all her love into her family and to them she was their Queen, so much that she had hats, cups and stickers that said so. If you knew Jo-Ann, you knew her love and pride for her family. She was the most honest and true woman, she said what she meant and meant what she said. Reading was a favorite pastime and she loved the feel of a book in her hands. She loved to sew and be creative, and was known for her signature bunny cakes every Easter. She had a bank of knowledge that always seemed to come up at camp fires down in Mexico with her closest friends listening in awe. She had faith in the lord God and on January 29th, 2022, she was called home to Him.

Jo-Ann is preceded by her mother Myra and her eldest child, her angel, Christine. As is her way she leaves no one behind, instead she leaves her love and memories to all those she touched along her journey. Her family holds those memories close and misses her dearly, her husband Jesse Jarvi, her two remaining children Jessica Boothe (Dave) and Charles Guest (Francesca), her 10 grandchildren - Wyndi (Greg), Kylie (James), Kymberli, Hunter, Dylan, Deborah (Gustavo), Miguel (Autumn) ,Leticia (James), Racquel aka Rocky (Rudy), and Cira, her 9 great grandchildren - Hazel, Dillon, Aiden, Alex, Dante, Lilly, Gerald, Athena and Kinley, and all of her extended family and friends she considered family. As Jo-Ann will forever look lovingly down upon us, we shall continuously look up and remember her as our Queen.