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Praise the Lord as we Celebrate the Elevation of Life of Dr. JoAnn Jeffery McCants! Our beloved Dr. JoAnn Jeffery McCants – Pastor, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, and friend has started a new and elevated heavenly journey. Pastor JoAnn was one of God’s beautiful flowers inside and out. She possessed a servant’s heart and had compassion for the least, the last and the lost. Anyone who knew her, knows that God was her number one priority. As founding Pastor at the New Life Community Outreach Ministries, she put the actions of her heart to work by serving the church for 14 years.
Pastor JoAnn was very passionate about giving. Outreach was very important to her and spreading the word of God was her mission. The love for her community didn’t end there as she provided hot meals to the elderly, donated turkeys to families in need during the holidays, and participated in back-to-school supply giveaways to the youth. She was a praying woman. This was evident in her daily walk with Christ. If you called her early, she
would tell you to call her back because she was praying. If you were looking for her on any given morning you would probably find her walking outside and talking to the Lord on behalf of family, friends and the sick and shut in. JoAnn retired in 2021 as a records supervisor after serving 30 years with the Florida City Police Department. During her time there, she also served as Chaplain. Prior to working with the Police Department JoAnn was a full time beautician. She was famous for her curly perms. Everybody wanted one, and even if you didn’t, you got one anyway.
Family, Food and Fellowship were near and dear to JoAnn’s (or Jo as she was regarded by her family) heart. She always spoke fondly about memories of her parents and growing up with 13 siblings in a tight knit family, with lots of love. Since Jo was the oldest, many of her siblings looked to her as the motherly figure. She protected them even if it meant she would take on the repercussion of any given situation herself. As the oldest growing up indicative of her giving spirit she would make kindhearted gestures like buying school clothes for her younger siblings. In addition, she would buy gifts at Christmas time to help lighten her mother’s load. Her younger sisters recall moments where she would allow them to go through her closet and pick out clothes to wear because she didn’t mind sharing. But you had to return them. That was the only stipulation. JoAnn was a big sister in every sense of the word. Pastor McCants was a devoted wife. Married for 13 years to James T. McCants. From November 1st, 2008 until now, they grew together through sickness and in health and worked together at New Life to oversee the work of the church. Of all her titles the name “Mom” really made her heart smile. She loved her sons Roy and Troy dearly.
They protected her and she would go the extra mile to make sure they had whatever they needed as youth and into adulthood. She was proud of them and would sometimes call
Roy…Troy and Troy…Roy, but she knew if she called on either one of them, they would be there for her in their own way, without hesitation. She loved the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. Conversation with family over a nice meal was something that she loved but cooking the meal was just as enjoyable for her. She was regarded as one of the best cooks in town. Her favorite pastime was family gatherings, particularly Sunday dinners. From collard greens, and cornbread to sweet potato pies. People would travel from both near and far for a plate of Jo’s home cooked meals. You could taste the influence of her mother with every bite.
There is a quote that says, “There is beauty in simplicity”. While Dr. McCants was a woman of great depth and fashionable style, she also enjoyed the simple things in life. In addition to cooking, she enjoyed going out for ice cream, Family Feud, traveling, shopping, flowers, leopard print (as all her sisters do), music and a special love for gospel and Shirley Caesar. The thought of losing a loved one is difficult but as her favorite passage of scripture states, we must Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not until thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6. Although Pastor McCants overcame 3 types of cancer and 7 tumors by the Grace of God years before; on Friday, February 18th it was time for Him to pick one of the most beautiful roses from His garden. There is solace in the fact that Pastor McCants was a Believer and that even in the valley of the shadow of death, the Shepherd accompanied her on his eternal path. At 7:57am the Elevation happened, and she exchanged the corruptible for the incorruptible. Praise the Lord! Glory to God!
She was preceded in death by her dear parents Fred and Doris Horton and beloved brother Ricky York. Her memory will be forever cherished by her loving husband, James T. McCants, devoted children Roy Jeffery (Connie) and Troy Jeffery (Summer). Grandchildren, Jeralme (Danika), Greyson and Mateo. Great-Grandchildren, Amya, JJ, Jaelyn and twins on the way. Siblings, Debbie Legall, Sandra Phyllis Roberts, Carolyn Jones, David (Jesselyn)
York, Irma (Wesley) Robbins, Geraldine (Gary) Downer, Michael (Inger) York, Barbara Horton, Tracy (Roderick) Currie, Elfreda Horton (Leon) Seymore, and Patty Horton (Mike) Hugue and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She will be greatly missed.
