Ann Stiefel Joiner Brewster

Ann Stiefel Joiner Brewster, a Jacksonville native, passed away after a long, fulfilling life on May 13, 2026.  Ann was born on November 30, 1925, daughter of Amy Raabe and Clarence Stiefel. Her grandparents, Anna and John C. Raabe, married and settled in Jacksonville in 1887 where her grandfather became a prominent businessman and real estate developer.

In her later years, Ann discovered that her paternal ancestry dated back to Augustine Warner, of Gloucester, Virginia. Warner, the great-great grandfather of George Washington, settled in Virginia at Warner Hall and became Speaker of the House of Burgesses.

Ann was a 1943 graduate of Robert E. Lee High School. She attended Ward Belmont College in Nashville, where she was on the Dean’s List. She also attended the University of Georgia. Ann was predeceased by her husbands, Miller V. Joiner Jr. and Eugene Cordary Brewster, as well as her brothers, Clarence Stiefel of Jacksonville and John Stiefel of Gainesville, Florida.

The hallmark of Ann’s life was her faith. She described herself as “a Christian who loved her Lord.” Hers was an abiding faith, but also one she put into action over the years in two local churches. She taught Sunday School at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, where she helped start the Outreach Center and co-chaired The Loving Hands Committee. At St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, she was a member of the Altar Guild, drove Meals on Wheels for 17 years, and served food at the Sulzbacher Center, where she was co-hostess at the Wednesday lunches. In addition, Ann served as a leader of the Alpha Class and was a member of the Adult Sunday School class at St. Mark’s.

Ann’s work was civic as well. For years, she was a board member of the Friday Musicale and served on the Board of the Guild of University Hospital. She had an appreciation of fine art and was a member of the Cummer Gallery of Art, serving as a volunteer in their gift shop. She was also past president of Watsonia Garden Circle and a former Treasurer of the Garden Club of Jacksonville. Her other memberships included The Jacksonville Historical Society and the Florida Yacht Club. She had been a subscriber and supporter of the Jacksonville Symphony since its inception.

Ann remained active through her later years. For 19 years, she swam a half mile several times a week and walked every day. She also had a strong sense of adventure. In her 70s, she crossed one more item off her bucket list when she went whitewater rafting down the Snake River in Colorado. Her worldwide travels continued well into her 90s and included China, Turkey, Greece, and a number of European cities. She loved to drive, too, and thought nothing of heading north to Canada or out West to the Grand Canyon. Closer to home, she loved to read and was a regular at the bridge table.

Ann had three children and delighted in the times they would all come together. She said it was like having all of her “chicks” home. She is survived by her daughter, Andrea Joiner Fine of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; her daughter, Margaret Willard, and her husband Jerry of Jacksonville; her son, Miller V. Joiner III and his son, Parker Beau, all of Jacksonville, and her extended family.

Graveside services will be held at Evergreen Cemetery, 4535 Main St. Jacksonville, FL. 32206, on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 11:00 am. Arrangements are under the direction and care of Evergreen Funeral Home (904) 353- 3649.