Jo A. Roe

Jo A. Roe, age 60, of Olathe, Kansas, passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family and their love, on June 10, 2017, ending a year-long siege of lung cancer.

Jo was born on October 27, 1956, the second of three children of Samuel J. Nutt and Anna M. (Evans) Nutt, in Midwest City, Oklahoma, while her dad was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base. Upon Sam's separation from the service, the family moved to Olathe, where Sam worked at the then-new FAA control center. The family lived in the Ridgeview and North Havencroft neighborhoods, and Jo attended Ridgeview Elementary and Santa Fe Trail Junior High schools. Jo graduated from Olathe High School in 1974, where she was an honor student and a member of the Eaglette Drill Team, serving as co-captain her senior year. Jo attended the University of Kansas and Johnson County Community College.
In the summer of 1975, while they were both home from different colleges, Jo stole the heart of Richard Roe. She never gave it back. They married on June 25, 1976. The couple lived in Olathe and Lawrence while Richard attended law school, then returned permanently to Olathe, where they made their home and raised their family. Jo alternated between being a stay-at-home mom and working outside the home. Early on, she worked at KU, North Supply Company and at various other endeavors, including craft painting. In about 1996, Jo began a 15-year career with the Lenexa Police Department, where she served as a station officer. She took early retirement in 2011, but got bored and returned to the work force in 2013, as a transcript clerk in the admissions department at Johnson County Community College. Jo was a loyal, valued employee wherever she worked.

Jo and Richard were blessed with three terrific children and four amazing, beautiful grandchildren. Jo's greatest joy was in making her family happy, and she reached her peak with her grandkids. She was JoJo, not Grandma, and when JoJo loved you, you knew you'd been loved.
Jo was a person of many talents and abilities. She was thoughtful, caring, creative and loving. Jo had a knack for making everything she did look easy, and everything she touched look better. She had a style and grace all her own. In her own way, she was an amazing daughter and sister, a wonderful wife and mother, a terrific homemaker, a gracious hostess, a remarkable traveling companion, and the best life partner a guy could ever ask for. Jo loved the sun, the beach at Hilton Head, James Taylor, game nights, playing spades, family dinners, books, attending Gazelles softball games, entertaining and gardening. Most of all, she loved her family, especially her grandkids. She was the best JoJo she could be.

Jo was predeceased by her father in 1996 and her mother in 2003. She loved her Daddy and Mama and missed them greatly the rest of her life. Jo is survived by her husband, Richard, of the home; daughter Michelle Hogan and son-in-law Matt Hogan of Olathe; daughter Nikki Roe Cropp and son-in-law Carl Cropp of Fort Worth, Texas; son Zach Roe of Overland Park; and grandchildren Brady Hogan, Olivia Hogan, Parker Jo Cropp and Chloe Cropp. She is also survived by her brother, Steve Nutt and sister-in-law Laura Nutt of McClouth, Kansas; sister Sandy Shurling and brother-in-law Bill Shurling of Olathe; her favorite aunt, Ruby Evans Wyrick of Anaheim, California; Richard's siblings and spouses; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family wishes to thank Dr. David Ramirez, Dr. David Lee and Dr. Stephen Smalley and their staffs, and the nurses and staff of Hospice of Olathe Medical Center for their care of Jo and the family.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, June 15 2017, at the Penwell-Gabel Olathe Chapel from 6 to 8 p.m. A memorial service will take place on Friday, June 16 at 10 a.m., also at the Chapel. Cremation, no inurnment. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Hospice of Olathe Medical Center or the American Cancer Society.

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