Jo Ann Coffman's Obituary
Jo Ann (Messerly) Coffman, age 87, passed away on October 23, 2022 in Avon, Ohio. Jo was born to Margaret (Cooper) and Howard Messerly on June 18, 1935 in Warren, Ohio.
Her mom taught her to cook, clean, and sew. Her dad taught her to keep score at baseball games, count cards, and finish concrete. She was a good student, played the piano, and loved dancing. After graduating from Warren G. Harding High School in 1953, she worked as a legal secretary.
In 1954, she met the love of her life, Jack, at a USO dance at the Youngstown Air Force Base. They married in September 1956 and enjoyed an amazing 66 years together. She and Jack chose Amherst to settle down and raise their four children. Her home was a favorite of the neighborhood kids, with swimming, ball games, badminton, kick the pole, too many hands of pinochle to count, and the occasional percussion band in the living room. Friends, neighbors, and exchange students were always welcome for a chat over coffee, a seat at the dinner table, a tagalong on vacation, or a stay at the house.
She loved reading, gardening, baseball, football, puzzles of all kinds, needlework, music, and playing cards. She loved traveling, at first with the family, driving and camping out across the country, then with Jack, just the two of them, in fancier accommodations. She worked as a bookkeeper for many years at Peck & Peck Public Accountants. She was a devoted mom and grandma and loved attending all her grandkids’ games and events. She loved children and considered them all her own.
Jo was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Betty. She is survived by her husband, Jack, children David (Kathy), Gary (Tammy, Tricia), Karen (Mitch), and John (Bonnie), grandchildren Kayla, Kevin, Peter, Christopher, Stephen, Katelyn, Suzanne, and Amanda, great grandchildren Finley, Emily, Thomas, Bryson, and Collin, brothers-in-law Clarence and Paul, many nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors, and her best friend Rosie.
The family will receive friends and family on Thursday, October 27, from 3-6:30 pm in the Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Road, Amherst. Funeral Services will follow the visitation at 6:30 p.m. in the funeral center. Private family burial will take place at Crownhill Cemetery in Amherst, at a later date.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dovinreberjones.com
The family would like to thank the staff at Rose Senior Living, Ganzhorn Suites, and Hospice of the Western Reserve for their compassionate care over the last few months.
What’s your fondest memory of Jo?
What’s a lesson you learned from Jo?
Share a story where Jo's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Jo you’ll never forget.
How did Jo make you smile?