DiBiase
WAYCROSS — JoAnn McDonald DiBiase, age 83, passed away Sunday, April 26, 2026, at her residence at Satilla Bluffs Memory Care, after an extended illness.
Ms. DiBiase left behind a legacy of creativity, vision, and a remarkable ability to bring ideas to life. She was born November 23, 1942, and grew up in Waycross, where she graduated from Waycross High School in 1960. She was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Georgia for art, but fell in love with Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., and chose to attend there, while using her scholarship to attend summer sessions at UGA. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in painting and sculpturing and a minor in business in just three years.
She was accepted to the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, but after spending three months in Europe with friends, she decided she was ready to return to the United States and begin her career. She was hired at Jordan Marsh Department Store in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as a visual merchandiser and designer. After several years, she moved closer to home to Jacksonville, Fla., where she worked at the EH Thompson Company in commercial interior design.
In 1970, she moved back to Waycross with her husband, Tom DiBiase, where they began building several successful businesses together.
She co-founded C&D Investment Properties, which included multiple residential and commercial rental properties, and went on to design and develop Spanish Village Apartments, the first luxury apartment complex in Waycross. They later built Store N Lock Mini Storage, a 250-unit complex on Tebeau, Remshart, and Harrison streets.
Meanwhile, she brought her love of design and creativity into retail with the Stork’s Nest children’s store, which soon grew into Stork’s Nest Plus Junior’s Too, and eventually became Special Image women’s boutique.
Ms. DiBiase had a gift for seeing what something could be and then making it a reality. Whether it was a business, a space, or a simple gathering, she had a way of bringing ideas to life and making everything feel a little more beautiful and a little more special.
Outside of her work, she loved entertaining, decorating, cooking, and crafting. Ms. DiBiase was an accomplished seamstress, floral designer, and truly exceptional artist, taking joy in adding her personal touch to everything she created. Her home was full of her beautiful works and reflected her amazing gift of creating breathtaking art pieces. She also had a special talent for baking, and could take any vision and bring it to life in cake form — her creations were often the highlight of the celebration.
Ms. DiBiase enjoyed playing bridge with friends, spending time with her beloved cats, crocheting, knitting, and painting. She was a lifetime member of the Camellia Garden Club, a member of the WINS women’s group and a member of First Baptist Church of Waycross.
She especially loved being a grandmother, and found great joy in watching her grandchildren, Ruby, Izzy, and Wade, grow and follow their own dreams.
She was preceded in death by her father, Joseph “Joe” McDonald; her mother, Ruby Gillis McDonald Crawley; stepfather, George Lee Crawley; stepbrother, Jerome Lee Crawley; stepsister, Anne Crawley Trogdon; the father of her children, Thomas Lucian DiBiase; and her infant son.
She is survived by her daughter, Dr. Michelle DiBiase (Brian Brown) of Waycross; her son, Marc DiBiase (Teri) of Blackshear; her grandchildren, Ruby Lefand, Isabelle Lefand, and Wade DiBiase; her sister-in-law, Jane Crawley; her nieces Lena Crawley Hardaway (David) of Hickory, N.C., Diana Crawley Swain (Maxie) of Lawrenceville, Ga., and Cathy Crawley Mobley (Bubba) of Moultrie, Ga.; and her best friend, Gloria Bates of Waycross.
The family would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the Satilla Bluffs staff, especially caregivers of the Seasons wing and director Ashley Smith, as well as caregivers of Abide Home Care and Hearth Hospice for their unwavering love, care, and support.
Ms. DiBiase will be deeply missed and remembered for the beauty, creativity, and love she brought into the lives of those around her.
A private funeral service will be held Saturday, May 9 with a Celebration of Life at a later date.
Music Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Sympathy may be expressed by signing the online guestbook at www.musicfuneralhome.c om
