Jo Ann Harvey

Jo Ann Harvey, 94, of San Diego, California, passed away Jan. 16, 2025. She was born in Los Angeles, California on Oct. 22, 1930, to Joy and Loren Robinson.

Jo Ann graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1946. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years and went on to San Francisco State College where she graduated with a California Elementary School Teaching Credential. Jo Ann taught in Sacramento, Merced and Santa Clara before relocating to Susanville, California, where she taught kindergartners for 10 happy years. One of her favorite stories was about two little boys sitting in the back row talking to each other while she was expounding on an important topic. She said, “Who’s doing all that talking?” One of them piped up and said, “You are, Mrs. Harvey!’

In 1952, Jo Ann married Joseph Bivens Harvey, whom she’d met at Occidental College. Joe became a lawyer and was subsequently elected to the seat of Lassen County Superior Court Judge. They became parents of five children: Jean, Warren, Thomas, Mary and Katherine. While in Susanville, Jo Ann enjoyed singing in a church choir where Joe was director. Jo Ann was also part of a community theatre group and acted/sang in such productions as “Auntie Mame” and Sondheim’s “Company.”

In 1983, Jo Ann moved to San Diego, where she and a teacher friend opened a learning center (Computer Scholar) in Oceanside, California, later moving the operation (re­named Windsor Learning Center) to La Jolla, California. Through these enterprises, Jo Ann provided tutoring in basic educational skills, plus training in computer applications/operation to children ages K-12. Jo Ann loved children, and she loved teaching and tutoring.  The mall where learning center was located shut down in 1993, causing the learning center to close its doors.

Jo Ann spent the next l0 years as Administrative Assistant and Personnel Manager for Vietnam Veterans of San Diego (VVSD), now known as Veterans Village of San Diego. While employed with VVSD, she raised funds for the organization by writing and directing the production of a mystery dinner theater play enacted by staff and residents of the program. After working another 10 years for Mental Health Systems of San Diego as Administration Assistant at their recovery program called “Providence Place,” Jo Ann retired in July of 2010 at the age of 80.

She continued singing in a local church choir at Hope United Methodist Church. Her other interests included travel having visited many countries in Europe and South America, and particularly liked visiting the tropical climates of the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas. She was an avid reader and an amateur painter and spent many hours volunteering at a local senior center and with the local elementary school tutoring program.

Jo Ann is survived by four of her five children (Jean Pope, Tom Harvey, Mary Harvey, and Kate Lee), 10 grandchildren, and 14 great­ grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held May 3, 2025, at Hope United Methodist Church in Rancho Bernardo, California. Donations may be sent to “This Gracious Work,” 1719 Pitt Ave., Bremerton, WA 98310, which supports her daughter’s work at a missionary school in Thailand. Please include a note that says it is for Gary and Jean Pope’s work in Thailand.