- Date Of Birth: December 13, 1931
- Date Of Death: April 18, 2015
- State: Arizona
Our amazing Mom, Grandma and Great-Grandma, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on Saturday, April 18, 2015. Jo, as she liked to be called, was a second generation Arizonan, born to Pearl and Claire “J.C.” Franks in Mesa Arizona on December 13, 1931. Jo, along with her six brothers, were raised on the McKellips Citrus Ranch in Mesa, once located at McKellips and Greenfield roads where her dad was foreman for over 25 years. She attended the Old Lehi School (now the Mesa Historical Museum) prior to graduating from Mesa High School in 1949. She then enrolled in Arizona State College (now ASU) , where she lived in West Hall, joined Gamma Phi Beta, and met the love of her life, John “Jack” Gannon. According to Jo, it was “love at first sight” for both, and they married in 1953. Their family quickly included four children, and after a brief hiatus from ASU, Jo returned and earned a B.A. in Elementary Education in 1965 and an M.A.E. in 1970. She enjoyed a long and rewarding career teaching in the classroom and in the Library at several schools within the Scottsdale Unified School District until her retirement in 1990. But retirement only sparked a new energy, and her second career as a volunteer was born. She served as volunteer Librarian for St. Daniel the Prophet for many years as well as a Docent for both the Mesa Historical Museum and Scottsdale Historical Society where she was awarded “Volunteer of the Year”. She is survived by her four children Mike (Kathy) Gannon, Patti Ruggiero, John Gannon, Bonnie (Steve) Ball, 16 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and countless friends. Jo was preceded in death by her husband Jack Gannon, Anna Ruggiero Jackson, and brothers Bob and Roscoe Franks.
