Mary Jo Tierney

Fort Pierce - Mary Jo Tierney, longtime owner of Fort Pierce's Sunrise Ford, former news reporter, generous donor to many local causes, and the anchor of a vast network of friends, died peacefully Thursday evening at home with family members by her side. Mary Jo was 74.

Her generosity knew no bounds. Her circle of loved ones expands far and wide. Keenly intelligent and an avid reader, her mind could percolate equally over world events and local gossip. She loved long walks in the morning, cocktails on the porch in the evening, and winding down the night with a soapy TV drama.

She is survived by her husband, Michael Wetzel; her daughter, Tierney Sneed; her brothers Stephen Tierney and Mark Tierney; her stepchildren, Allie Wetzel, Drake Wetzel, Nikki Sneed and Jeff Sneed; and her grandchildren, Rory Newell, Helen Newell, Micah Wetzel and Conner Sauer.

Mary Jo Tierney was born in 1951 in Wilmington, Delaware, to Jack Tierney, a real estate agent and Rita Tierney, a homemaker. At six, she moved with her family to Fort Pierce and enrolled at the local Catholic schools, first St. Anastasia, then John Carroll High School, where she was editor of the student newspaper, The Shield.

Her pursuit of journalism continued at Indian River Junior College and the University of Florida, where she wrote for The Independent Alligator. She initially worked for The Cocoa Today newspaper then pursued a graduate degree at Florida, where she also taught journalism classes. She went on to work for The Miami Herald and the Palm Beach Post in the 1970s and 1980s. Her byline was well known throughout Florida for her investigative scoops and coverage of crime and courts. "She was a newsroom leader, our star reporter and mentor to young women on our staff," said John Barry, her editor at the Miami Herald's Fort Pierce bureau.

In 1979, she married her first husband, car dealer Jimmy Sneed, whom she met playing tennis. Mary Jo became stepmother to Jimmy's four children from his previous marriage. Mary Jo had her own daughter with Jimmy, Tierney Sneed, in 1988.

Jimmy passed away in 1994, and Mary Jo took over the operations of his dealership, Sunrise Ford. Though Mary Jo's relationship with cars was indifferent at best, the critical thinking skills she honed as a journalist served her well. Under her leadership, Sunrise Ford was among the most successful car dealers in the region.

Mary Jo's sense of fairness followed her into business. She purposely ate lunch in the employee lunchroom, keeping up to date on the lives and concerns of her employees. She once noticed that two salesmen had overcharged a customer by $3,000. The salesmen, expecting to be rewarded, were shocked when Mary Jo scolded, "Would you treat your mothers that way?" She fired them both and refunded the customer.

In 2012, she married her second husband, Mike, her business partner at Sunrise Ford. They opened a second dealership, Sunrise Volkswagen, in 2018.

Their wedding followed a decade-plus relationship. How Mike cared for her when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer cemented her decision to marry him. With him by her side, she kept the cancer at bay for 15 years, and her ability to repeatedly beat the odds earned her the nickname "The Miracle of Jennings Cove" around the neighborhood.

When Sunrise Ford sold in 2021, Mary Jo and Mike used the proceeds to form the Tierney & Wetzel Foundation, focusing their philanthropy on environmental, educational and cultural causes. Chief among their efforts were protecting the environmentally threatened Indian River Lagoon and supporting the A.E. Backus Museum.

It was Mary Jo's home in Fort Pierce overlooking the lagoon, where she hosted her famous dinner parties, that sustained her oldest friendships. Her frequent guests formed a veritable directory of Fort Pierce business owners and professionals, who could recite their personal histories with Mary Jo as if they were reading a roadside plaque.

She checked in when people were down. She made sure the priests at the Catholic church had a nice new Ford to drive. And she never let down her employees when they asked for time off. With her loyalty and thoughtfulness, she was everybody's best friend.

A celebration of life will be held in the Pelican Yacht Club on December 5, 5-7 pm. In lieu of flowers, friends and family are encouraged to donate to the Treasure Coast Food Bank or Friends of the Everglades.

Arrangements are entrusted to Yates Funeral Home, Fort Pierce, Florida. For more information and to leave a tribute message, please visit www.YatesFuneralHome.com.