But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Hebrews 13:16 
 
For the good in us, which calls us to a better life, we give thanks. For the strength to improve the world with our hearts and our hands, 
we offer praise. For the desire in us which leads us to work for peace, we are grateful. For life and nature, harmony and beauty, for the hope of tomorrow, 
all praise to the Source of Being. 
from Misltkan T1filah 
On behalfofJoan's family, thank you for your love and support. 
 
'oan; <tP. cJa!tiU!/ll June 1951 -Apri/2017 
Memorial Service Saturday, May 6, 2017, 3:00 p.m. Ebenezer Baptist Church, Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 
 
 Joan P. Gamer was born in 1951 in Washington D.C ., to Annie Childs and Morris "Tank" Gamer. She attended Anacostia High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of the District of Columbia and a Master's degree in Organizational Communication from Howard University. She made Atlanta her home in 1978. 
Joan was a longtime community activist and organizer well before she was elected to the Fulton County Commission. As she first became involved in politics in the early 1990s, Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson appointed Joan as one of his liaisons to the Gay and Lesbian Community. Mayor Jackson was the first Atlanta mayor to have such designated positions. Joan advocated for the cause ofgay and lesbian equality at a time when such openness was rare, perhaps especially in the African American community. Joan's advocacy in this area of civil rights included service on the boards of Lambda Legal and the Gay and Lesbian Task Force. She was a co-convener of the Atlanta African American Lesbian Gay Alliance and helped organize the first Human Rights Campaign fundraising dinner in Atlanta. 
Joan lived in Atlanta's Historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, within the Martin Luther King Historic District, with her spouse, Jane Morrison, a Fulton County State Court Judge. Her involvement in the neighborhood spanned more than twenty years from 1995 to her final months. 
She was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 and 2016. Her tenure on the board marked a period of increasing cooperation and bipartisanship that some attribute to Joan's calm temperament and skill as a bridge builder. She was elected as Vice Chair by her peers in January 2017. Joan represented the residents of Fulton County District 4, which includes Midtown Atlanta and the neighborhoods west of downtown Atlanta. Like the district she represented, Joan was vibrant and embodied many of Fulton County's most progressive values. 
During her service on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Joan was known as "The Health Commissioner" and became the Board's Executive Sponsor of its "All People Are Healthy" priority area. This fit well with Joan's long time support of Grady Hospital and her commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS which had been a social justice concern of hers for decades. She co-founded the Fulton County Task Force on HIVIAIDS, among numerous health initiatives. Her personal experience after her own diagnosis with cancer informed her advocacy for and commitment to health care equality. 
In addition to Jane, Joan is survived by her three brothers, Damon (wife Stacey), Tony, and Keith, two sisters, Jean and Janet, multiple nieces, nephews, and cousins as well as beloved friends and colleagues in Atlanta and across the country. 
"The greatest thing you111 ever learn, is just to love, and be loved inreturn. 11 
Nature Boy, as sung by Nat King Cole 
 
Prelude Midtown Brass Quintet 
Welcome The Reverend Raphael G. Warnock, Ph.D. 
Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church 
Remembrances Mtamanika Youngblood, Joan in the Neighborhood 
Ross King, Joan as a County Commissioner Ann Cramer, Joan the Atlanta Intown Activist 
s Harry Harkins, Joan workfor Social Justice & LGBT Rights s Carol Collard, Joan Commitment to Those in Need 
Musical Interlude 
Family Reading Kendra Childs, Niece 
Words of Comfort & Hope Rev. Duncan E. Teague 
Linda Bryant, Spiritual Director 
Music for Meditation Gustav Holst, Song Without Words 
Benediction The Reverend Raphael G. Warnock, Ph.D. 
Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church 
Recessional Midtown Brass Quintet