Josephine Conlon

Josephine Conlon, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died peacefully at home, on November 18, 2023. She was 94. Josephine was born on July 5, 1929, to British parents, Amy Wilson and Ceceil Brockbank, in London.
Her parents died when she and her sister, Wendy, were quite young, so the sisters were sent to live and be educated by the Anglican nuns of Ascot Priory. Here, against the backdrop of WWII, with rations and blackout curtains, Josephine received a first class education, rich in English history, music, poetry and literature. After completing her education at the Priory, Jo headed to London to work at a bank as a secretary. She lived with other girls in an apartment next to where Winston Churchill had lodged. Jo remembered seeing Mr. Churchill riding in the back of a sleek limousine, arms outstretched, flashing the V symbol for Victory.
Jo eventually moved to Holland Park, near a school for the blind, where she volunteered to read textbooks to the students. One of these students was Edward Conlon, studying to be a physical therapist, an occupation he could do in the event of losing his second eye to a detached retina. Jo quickly fell for this handsome lad from Yorkshire, who loved music and dancing as much as she did. Ed and Jo didn't have much money, but they managed to attend concerts at the Albert Hall and theaters on the West End. On one of their dates Jo remembered the neon lights of London flashing on for the first time since WWII.
Jo was deeply impressed by Ed's strong Catholic faith and converted to Catholicism. They were married on May 30, 1953, at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, by Ed's brother, John, who was a Benedictine monk and priest at the Abbey.
Jo and Ed welcomed their first child, Louise, the following year, then Jerome, two years later. It became apparent that in order to support their growing family, Ed needed to find a job in the United States. In 1957, he left his family in England to try his luck in Seattle.
After spending a year living in Yorkshire with Ed's mother, and bearing her third child Michael, Jo heard from Ed that he had accepted a position as Director of Physical Therapy at St. Elizabeth's in Yakima. With great excitement Jo and the three children boarded the Pan Am flight that would take them on the 22-hour journey to to America.
The family's first home was in Rose Place, where they later welcomed a fourth child, Elizabeth. Six weeks after that, Ed lost the sight in his second eye. Jo remembered feeling calm at this tumultuous time. She credits her faith with giving her the strength she needed to tend to her family and help Dad transition to life as a working blind man.
With the birth of their fifth child, Sarah, Jo and Ed moved their family to a larger home on West Chestnut. Jo thrived in her new neighborhood with friends all round who loved to gather and throw parties. Jo shared her love of English country dancing with the neighborhood girls, holding lessons in the basement rec room.
To help with college costs. Jo worked at the Yakima library, a perfect fit for her in the reference department. She also assisted Ed on his evenings rounds in the nursing homes, extra work for both of them, but they were determined their children attend Jesuit universities.
Jo and Ed still managed to travel to England and abroad many times, visiting family and friends and making pilgrimages to Lourdes. Jo and her daughter, Elizabeth, once traveled to England together, where Jo was able to return to the Priory School she hadn't seen since a child. Two elderly nuns greeted her warmly, they had been her teachers.
Jo loved the mountains and every summer saw her pack the family in the station wagon for trips to the hiking trails of Mt. Rainier.
In later years, Jo could be found walking the Greenway or Randall Park with Ed, and reading aloud to him their favorite books or the WSJ. She always welcomed visits from family and friends with a pot of tea.
Jo loved animals and adopted many dogs in her lifetime and also a parrot, Pogo, who was with her for 30 years. She will be fondly remembered by her family as a tireless Scrabble player which she happily played until the very end. Jo was a model of humility, courage, and compassion to all who knew her, and she will be greatly missed.
Josephine is preceded in death by her husband, Edward Conlon, her parents, Ceceil and Amy Brockbank, and her grandson, Michael DeLaurenti. She is survived by her sister, Wendy Van Blankenstein of London, UK, daughter, Louise (Jack)Weed, son, Jerome (Karen) Conlon, son, Michael Conlon, daughter, Elizabeth (Jim) Cowan, daughter, Sarah Conlon, grandchildren, Katie, Jon, Meghan and Joseph (Amanda) Conlon, Christopher and Anna Weed, Sylvia and Dorothy Howard, Robert DeLaurenti and great-grandson, Clarke Conlon.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 10:00am, at St. Paul's Cathedral Chapel.
Brookside Funeral Home is caring for the family. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.brooksidefuneral.com.