Jo Ellen Fletcher

1952 - 2024

Jo Ellen Fletcher, my beloved wife, passed away peacefully on September 11, 2024. She died from a chronic illness known as Interstitial Lung Disease. Nicknamed Joey from her earliest years, she was born in Phoenix, AZ, on August 3, 1952. Her parents were Ruth (Peters) and Henry Boyd Fletcher, Jr., both formerly from St. Louis, MO. Although her parents are no longer living, she is survived by her older brother Steven Fletcher, of Phoenix, and husband Gene O. Larson.

Growing up in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Phoenix, Joey attended Royal Palm Elementary School and Sunnyslope High School, graduating in 1970. It was in early grade school that Joey first met her future husband. In high school, Joey was in an extracurricular business class where they successfully developed and marketed a grooming product. Outside of school, she worked on a student-led underground newspaper that commented on current events.

Joey attended Northern Arizona University for undergraduate study. She then moved to California's Bay Area where she attended San Francisco State University and obtained her master's degree in Social Work.

Throughout her life, Joey was a dedicated social worker whose work improved the lives of Californians. Early in her career, she worked at the Regional Center of the East Bay, in Oakland. During her 14 years there, she served as a service coordinator and resource developer.

In 1998, Joey moved to Sacramento to work in the Health & Wellness Section of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS). She played an essential part in the launching of the DDS Wellness Initiative. The program aimed to enhance access and improve the quality of medical, dental, and mental health services for those with developmental disabilities. She also served as a leader for the state's Autism Initiative.

In 2014, she became The Chief of the Early Start and Health Services Section where she helped oversee California's Early Start Program for babies and young children with developmental delays and disabilities. She retired in 2017.

In late 2005, Joey received an email from a childhood classmate. He was in the Bay Area and asked her for a date. She accepted, and they loved their time together. They shuttled between Sacramento and Chicago where he lived before getting married in Sacramento on the anniversary of her mother's birthday in 2006. They both believed it was meant to be.

Joey cherished her many friendships and often traveled to see her closest friend, Marcy Warner and her family in Phoenix. She also enjoyed visiting her "cousins" Scott, Jacque, and Lisa Brazieal during the holidays. While at home, Joey enjoyed her dog and cats, houseplants, and reading detective novels before bedtime. Her major projects during retirement were redesigning the backyard, bathroom, and kitchen. She will be missed by all who knew her closely, but by her husband most of all.

There will be no funeral. Because of Joey's chronic lung illness, donations to the America Lung Association would be a thoughtful tribute in her honor.