Berry, Joanne M. (Cleavenger)
resident of Worthington, passed away peacefully on May 19, 2022 at her daughter’s home in
Beaumont, CA after a brief illness. Joanne (“Jo”) was born in Toledo, Ohio on September 3, 1932 to William and Gertrude
Cleavenger. She graduated from Bowling Green State
University with a degree in
Health and Physical Education the Kappa Delta Sorority.
She married James Berry, a high school classmate, on August 20, 1954. Jo and Jim lived in Lansing,
MI and St. Charles, MO before moving to Columbus in 1961 and settling in
Worthington in 1965 where they raised their family.
They were married 62 years until his passing in 2017.
They were active members of Ascension Lutheran
Church for 50 years. Jo took great pride in her teaching career, including 25 years teaching fourth grade at Olentangy Elementary
School. She spent her summer vacations reading the latest books for her students, discovering new teaching tools and exploring the latest technology.
In the 1980s, she was one of the first teachers in the
Olentangy School District to pilot the use of computers in the classroom, earning recognition for her innovations. She retired in 1992. In her retirement, she enjoyed frequent golf outings and new friends at York Golf Club. She had five hole-in-ones at York (coincidentally, all on the same hole!). She also enjoyed bowling and watching all types of sports, cheering for the local teams, particularly
Ohio State. Jo is survived by her daughter, Tammy; her son, Mark and his wife,
Chris; grandchildren, Kate (Tom) and Madeline; sisterin-law, Pat (Tom); as well as her nieces and nephews,
Cheryl, Bill, Kelly (Craig),
Courtney (Mike), Mike (Brea) and their families.
Memories and condolences may be shared at weaver-mortuary.com. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to make a memorial gift to the Olentangy
Education Foundation or