Mom was the epitome of kindness and love. She loved everyone, not only our large, boisterous family. Despite having 12 permanent residents in her house, she often took in our cousins and friends. It was not uncommon to come home and find over 20 people sleeping all over the place. It looked like a refugee camp but Mom never blinked an eye. She was an oasis of calm in the chaotic, loving storm that was our home.We never heard her yell or curse, (we learned that from our Grandma Mamie who lived with us!) but at some point she realized she was partially deaf. After a successful operation, she came home and in a raised voice said, \”WOW, you people are LOUD!\”She was extraordinarily generous. It was not uncommon for her to give money, food and/or clothing to anyone who needed a helping hand. She always received dozens and dozens of thank you notes from, and photos of, people she had helped. We were always mystified as to who they were and how she met them.She had an unwavering faith in God and followed Christ's teachings every day. Jo was part of the founding community of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, a weekly communicant and a member of the Rosary Society. She prayed the Rosary every day and had a list of over 300 people that were in her prayers. She demonstrated amazing patience with us each Sunday as we tried to avoid getting to Mass on time. Mom always won that battle!Jo was always laughing and smiling. She loved to sing and one of her favorites was the old Doris Day tune, \”Que Sera, Sera\”, Spanish for \”Whatever Will Be, Will Be\”. She wasn't fatalistic but her belief in God kept her from ever worrying- as far as we knew.After her beloved Ellie was born, she became an even more visible proponent of those who needed a voice and support. Mom and Dad were active fundraisers for AHRC for over 50 years.When Dad's business started to falter, Mom went back to work full time at the Phone Company. Working from 11 pm to 7 am, she was dog-tired but never complained. It was she that saved the family financially and provided for a wonderful, long retirement.She never meddled in her kid's lives, was continuously supportive despite our many failings and was a proud and loving Grandmother to 13 grandchildren. She loved Hank, her husband, for over 65 years.Mom was definitely Saint-like to us but she wasn't perfect and did have a few foibles and vices. She was addicted to BINGO at an early age and tried to go once or twice a week. Amazingly, she seemed to always win! She was not the world's greatest housekeeper (how could she be with all of us around) nor an outstanding chef. She was also constantly in search of chocolate- a trait she unfortunately passed on to all of her kids. In the grand scheme of things, she was pretty close to perfect.Her last years with Dementia and the stroke this June, while very difficult for us to watch, were a continuation of her life. She never complained and was so peaceful. Her smiles, while becoming less frequent, would still light up the room and make you feel loved.She taught us how to live and how to die by her actions. The bar is set very high for us. We were so blessed to have had her as our Mom, Mother-in-Law, Grandmother, Aunt and Friend.