Mary Jo Deems

Mary Jo Deems was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia on February 12, 1931 and went to be with the Lord on December 24, 2019.

Mary Jo attended high school in Ravenswood, West Virginia where she participated in F.H.A., Glee Club, and the National Honor Society. After completing high school she attended Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia on a scholarship, and completed a BA degree in home economics with a biological science minor in January of 1953, and graduated magna cum laude.

On August 23 ^rd , 1953 Mary Jo married her high school sweetheart Charles Deems from Ravenswood, West Virginia. After their marriage they moved to Buckhannon, West Virginia where Mary Jo taught vocational home economics and biology at Sophia High School in Raleigh County.

In January of 1958 Mary Jo and Charles moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. In St. Petersburg Mary Jo and her husband Charles bought their first home…a 2-bedroom, 1-bath, 1-car garage home in a new neighborhood near a small lake. It was in St. Petersburg where Mary Jo’s two children were born; her daughter Debbie was born in 1958, and son John was born in 1961. In 1963 Mary Jo’s family moved to San Antonio, Texas where she was a “stay at home mom” for several years. In the spring of 1972 Mary Jo’s family moved again; this time to Odessa, Texas. While in Odessa Mary Jo attended The University of Texas of the Permian Basin and completed a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Guidance in May of 1980. Mary Jo returned to teaching in 1982 and taught home economics at both Ector High School and Odessa High School until she retired from teaching in January of 1995.

Mary Jo’s children and their families had moved to the Dallas, Texas area, so Mary Jo and her husband Charles moved to Plano, Texas in the summer of 1996 to be closer to family. While in Plano, Mary Jo and her husband Charles enjoyed attending their granddaughter Holli’s various sporting events as she was going through her school years, along with attending various functions with family and friends throughout the numerous years that they have spent in the Plano, Texas area. Mary Jo was fortunate to remain in fairly good health for most of her retirement years. As part of her Sunday school class group she would go to several of the local senior care centers and play the piano and sing with the residents at special events throughout the year. Mary Jo also enjoyed a “green thumb” during retirement…she would plant various vegetables and harvest them for fresh “organic” food; and also enjoyed growing pink roses in her backyard garden. In more recent years Mary Jo enjoyed watching her three great grandsons (Ty, Bear, and Walker) play together as only three fun loving brothers can do.

Mary Jo is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Kate Finch; daughter Debbie Deems, and husband Charles R. Deems.

She is survived by her son John Deems; daughter-in-law Lorri Deems; granddaughter Holli Steadman and husband Bill, and great grandsons Ty William, Barrett Cole, and Walker Blake Steadman.

Mary Jo will be sorely missed by all of her family and friends.

Mary Jo will be laid to rest, Monday, January 6, 2019, 12:30 pm at Pecan Grove Cemetery, Plano, Texas. A memorial service will follow at 2:00 pm, Christ United Methodist Church, Plano, Texas with a reception to follow.

Memorial gifts in Mary Jo’s honor can be donated to the following organizations:The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123American Heart Association, P.O. Box 841125, Dallas, TX 75284-1125