Obituary for Joan B Starkey
Joan Starkey, a loving mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and long-time resident of
Pensacola, FL. went peacefully to be with our Heavenly Father on April 9, 2021.
She leaves behind her children Evelyn and Richard Ball, Pensacola, FL; Brenda Starkey
Tulsa, OK; Rhonda and Dana Williams, Haslet, TX, and Tracey and Willie Burnham, Chesapeake,
VA; and 11 grandchildren, Samantha, Mackenzie, Chris, Lynnzi, Nathan, Brandon, Ashley, Tyler,
Shelby, Willie Jr., and Kayla. She also leaves behind 2sisters, Irene Ray and Ellen Drake; as well
as 2 brothers, Eugene and Billy Barker.
Her husband, John M. Starkey; parents, Bessie Louise Adams and William Gusten Barker;
siblings, Olive Tindall, Virginia Parker, Betty Jo Ballard, and Edmund Adams; and her parents-in
love Arthur and Ida Starkey preceded her in death.
Joan, the fifth of nine children, was born December 14, 1938, to Bessie Louise and William
Gusten Barker, in Booneville, MS. Joan grew up in Sumter County, FL and graduated from
Gainesville High School. From there, she attended secretarial school in Jacksonville, FL where she
met the love of her life, John Morris Starkey, a Navy man. They married December 14, 1957, her
19th birthday.
With John, she had four daughters. As a Navy family, they moved a lot and made memories in
places such as England, California, and many places in Florida; finally settling down in
Pensacola in 1969, John’s last duty station. She did not have a full-time job outside of the home
until Evelyn was a senior in high school; she retired from Pensacola Junior College (now
Pensacola State) as an employee in the bookstore and later the Bursar’s office.
She and John traveled the United States extensively visiting 44 of 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico. They also took several cruises.
She was an excellent baker and cook; she taught all of her daughters and granddaughters how to
make her famous cinnamon rolls. Joan had a ceramic shop and taught many people the art.
She was an avid bowler and participated in numerous tournaments across the country. Her
competitive nature not only led her to win many board games with the family, but also aided in
her tenacity and perseverance!
If you would like to remember Joan, please donate to Fisher House Foundation, USO, or the
American Cancer Society in her name.
Pensacola, FL. went peacefully to be with our Heavenly Father on April 9, 2021.
She leaves behind her children Evelyn and Richard Ball, Pensacola, FL; Brenda Starkey
Tulsa, OK; Rhonda and Dana Williams, Haslet, TX, and Tracey and Willie Burnham, Chesapeake,
VA; and 11 grandchildren, Samantha, Mackenzie, Chris, Lynnzi, Nathan, Brandon, Ashley, Tyler,
Shelby, Willie Jr., and Kayla. She also leaves behind 2sisters, Irene Ray and Ellen Drake; as well
as 2 brothers, Eugene and Billy Barker.
Her husband, John M. Starkey; parents, Bessie Louise Adams and William Gusten Barker;
siblings, Olive Tindall, Virginia Parker, Betty Jo Ballard, and Edmund Adams; and her parents-in
love Arthur and Ida Starkey preceded her in death.
Joan, the fifth of nine children, was born December 14, 1938, to Bessie Louise and William
Gusten Barker, in Booneville, MS. Joan grew up in Sumter County, FL and graduated from
Gainesville High School. From there, she attended secretarial school in Jacksonville, FL where she
met the love of her life, John Morris Starkey, a Navy man. They married December 14, 1957, her
19th birthday.
With John, she had four daughters. As a Navy family, they moved a lot and made memories in
places such as England, California, and many places in Florida; finally settling down in
Pensacola in 1969, John’s last duty station. She did not have a full-time job outside of the home
until Evelyn was a senior in high school; she retired from Pensacola Junior College (now
Pensacola State) as an employee in the bookstore and later the Bursar’s office.
She and John traveled the United States extensively visiting 44 of 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico. They also took several cruises.
She was an excellent baker and cook; she taught all of her daughters and granddaughters how to
make her famous cinnamon rolls. Joan had a ceramic shop and taught many people the art.
She was an avid bowler and participated in numerous tournaments across the country. Her
competitive nature not only led her to win many board games with the family, but also aided in
her tenacity and perseverance!
If you would like to remember Joan, please donate to Fisher House Foundation, USO, or the
American Cancer Society in her name.