Lois Joann Letson, 88, passed away May 13, 2026 in Houston, TX. Although she was named Lois, everybody knew her as Joann, even as a small child.  Joann grew up near Spokane, WA.  She loved her family, tap dancing, playing piano, and playing cards. She had many friends wherever she went and Joann never met a stranger.

One fateful night, she went to a dance with friends at a military base in Spokane. From across the room, a young man saw her come in the door and the rest was history.  Joann met the man of her dreams in David Bruce Letson, and they were very happily married for 68 years.

Along their life journey, they lived in New York state, where they had their son Mark, then they moved to California, where they had their daughter Jeanette.  The small, happy family bounced around to a few different places until Dave was transferred to Houston during the Apollo days, where his career took off.

They all attended Webster Presbyterian Church regularly and Joann taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for several years; then both Joann and Dave served as Deacons for their church for many years.  Joann’s favorite scripture was:

Matthew 17:20

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  She would say it to her students, her children, her customers, and grandchildren when they eventually came.

Joann and Dave loved playing Bridge and Pinochle. They went on many vacations around the world, but their favorite places to visit were her hometown, Spokane, WA to visit her parents, sister Jerry and her husband Bob LaLonde, and all their kids and all the Graham relatives that still lived there. They also loved Las Vegas.  The Letson family camped, went on cruises, road trips across the country, white water rafting through the Grand Canyon, hiking, had their own sailboat on Clear Lake, supported Boys and Girl Scouts with both of their kids, and waltzed across Texas with all their friends through life. It was an idyllic and loving home.

While Dave worked in aerospace, Joann was never idle. She taught piano lessons to the neighborhood children in Seabrook, Joann supported and visited the elderly and sick in nursing homes to play games or just chat with the sick. Several times, she’d bring her piano students to perform for them in nursing homes, just bake cookies, or do their hair for them.

Later Joann was an Optician for 10 years in Clear Lake and then discovered she had a knack for Texas Real Estate.  She got her Texas Real Estate license in 1978 and she never looked back.  She was a top realtor in the area from that date until she retired in 2023, at the age of 85, to care for Dave. Joann lived a full and happy life and was generous with her time and her heart. She will be deeply missed.

Joann was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Evelyn Graham and her beloved husband, David Bruce Letson. She is lovingly remembered by her son Mark Howard Letson, her daughter Jeanette Evelyn Letson Valdez, her sister Geraldine Lee LaLonde and her husband Robert LaLonde, Joann’s beloved grandchildren Angela Michelle Valdez and Daniel Charles Valdez, and her nephew Jeff Melton, and niece Jennifer Melton Valdez and husband Gilbert Valdez, and niece Julie Melton Reathaford and her husband Jason Reathaford.

The funeral mass to celebrate Joann’s life will be held on Wednesday, May 27th, 2026, at 10:30 am at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Houston, TX. Then Joann will be laid to rest next to her husband David at Forest Park East Cemetery in Webster, in the Veteran’s section there on Wednesday, May 27th, 2026, at 12 pm.