Ryan-Smith, Jo Ann

Jo Ann Ryan-Smith, 72, of Marion, died Sunday, August 29, 2010, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. Funeral mass: 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion. The family will greet friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Center in Marion, where a vigil service will begin at 7 p.m. Private family inurnment will take place at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Maquoketa, at a later date.

Survivors include her husband, Jeri; two children, Andrea (Antonio) Cusimano of Lansing, Ill., and Shawn (Wendy) Ryan of Bettendorf; stepchildren, Kelly (Robert II) Sexton of Tyrone, Ga., Lisa (Eric) Wetterman of Jupiter, Fla., and Matthew (Heather) Smith of Cedar Rapids; four grandchildren, Alexandrea, Connor, Logan and Casey; stepgrandchildren, Nicholas, Robert, Alexandria, Alison, Annsley and Victoria; and siblings, Margaret (Bill) Arsenaux of Venice, Fla., William (Phyllis) Huntoon of Marion, Diane (Fred) Holst of Cedar Rapids, Michael (Diane) Huntoon of Santa Rosa, Calif., and Jeanenne (Jack) Pivin of McKinney, Texas.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Carl Ryan; and a brother, Charles Huntoon.

Jo Ann was born June 12, 1938, in Cedar Rapids, the daughter of Joseph J. and Zilpha G. (Plummer) Huntoon. She graduated from Marion High School in 1956, and earned her Registered Nursing degree from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids. She went on to attend St. Francis in Peoria, Ill., and became a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in 1969.

Jo Ann was united in marriage to Carl Ryan on Oct. 1, 1960, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion. She worked for Jackson County Public Hospital in Maquoketa for 37 years. Carl died in 1998, and Jo Ann married Jeri D. Smith on Nov. 30, 2002 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Maquoketa.

JoAnn was an active member of the Maquoketa community, serving as past president of both the library and school boards. She also enjoyed playing bridge, racing canoes and actively followed her children's academic and athletic careers. Upon moving to Marion, Jo Ann and Jeri traveled extensively visiting the Holy Land, Europe (including Poland and Turkey), Egypt, the Panama Canal, Alaska and Hawaii. They also fell in love with and greatly enjoyed the game of golf.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Mercy or the Marion Public Library in Jo Ann's honor.

Please sign our online guest book for JoAnn at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.