Johanne ‘Jo’ Sullivan 1932 — 2019
Our beloved Mother Johanne “Jo” Sullivan passed away a few weeks after celebrating her 87th birthday with family in Oregon. Jo was born in 1932 to John and Rose Caster in Modesto and attended boarding school in Santa Rosa, where she was educated by the Ursuline nuns who inspired and nurtured her lifelong Catholic faith. Jo went on to graduate from Holy Names College in Oakland.
Home from college one summer, Jo met the love of her life, Virgil “Pete” Sullivan. They were married in 1955 in Modesto, raised four daughters and celebrated 62 happy years together. After moves from Walnut Creek, Santa Cruz, Lodi and Modesto, the family moved to Sonora in 1969 and Jo began her long teaching career at Jamestown Elementary School. She loved her profession and poured her heart and soul into teaching young learners at many grade levels.
Jo was a very energetic woman and one of her life passions was running. She started running in the ’60s before it was a thing and completed many marathons — clocking a 3:26 at age 50! She was the unique woman who actually welcomed birthdays because each one narrowed the competition in advancing age brackets — helping her to win more races! She made so many friends running. Together with her colleague, Marty Minners, they started the annual Jamestown Run and proudly raised funds for Jamestown Elementary School athletics for many years.
Jo and Pete retired to Palm Springs in 2002, enjoying warm winters there and summers at their cabin in Sunriver, Oregon. They toured many European countries and especially loved Ireland. Jo treated her daughters to a special trip to Italy to celebrate her 70th birthday and liked it so much they returned more than three times. A more recent highlight was hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with her daughters just weeks before her 82nd birthday. Jo was generous, kind, spirited and just so much fun. We miss her terribly.
Jo is survived by her sister, Norma Person, of Santa Rosa and Rancho Mirage; her daughters Jolie Sullivan Sellers, of Portland, Oregon, Erin Nicol, of Nashville, Tennessee, Brigid Martin, of Eagle, Idaho, and Dede Sullivan, of Murphys; seven grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.
A memorial mass and celebration of life will take place in Sunriver, a place she loved-and made special memories with her entire family.
Notices
JONES — Dolores Jones, 81, died Saturday, Oct. 17, at her home in Sonora. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
KAYS — Former Sonora resident Agnes Kays, 101, of Challis, Idaho, died Monday, Sept. 21, at Diamond Pea of Challis. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
LANDSMANN — Karel T. Landsmann, 73, of Sonora, died Saturday, Oct. 17, at Adventist Health Sonora’s Sierra Care Center. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
ROBERSON — Gary Roberson, 80, of Tuolumne, died Friday, Oct. 16, at Adventist Health Sonora. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
SCHOENBERGER — Gloria Schoenberger, 86, of Sonora, died Friday, Oct. 16, at the Redwoods Post-acute in San Jose. Terzich and Wilson Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
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