Jo Anne St. Clair, 73, concluded her life journey on October 30, 2022 at Sentara Medical Center. She went peacefully after a week
of goodbyes from family and friends.
Jo Anne leaves behind her son, Jonathan Roberts and wife Misty; her brother Thomas St. Clair, Sr. (wife, Mary); sister Bettie
Perkins (husband, William); sister Lynne Garner (husband, Alan); grandchildren Killian Donnelly, Zoe Roberts, and Jameson
Roberts; many nieces, nephews and cousins and many dear friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Elvin Monroe St.
Clair and Alma Dorothy Montague St. Clair.
Jo Anne was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia with her two sisters and an older brother where they helped their parents run
the family grocery store. Jo Anne completed a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Longwood University and a Master’s in
Social Work at the University of South Carolina - Columbia. She worked for more than 30 years as a social worker and lobbyist,
first in South Carolina for the South CarolinaAssociation of Social Workers and then in Columbus, Ohio as the Director of the
National Society for Social Work. She spent most of her working life as a social activist, championing causes such as closing the
legal loop on domestic violence, death with dignity laws, fair housing issues, and most recently climate action issues.
When Jo Anne retired, she moved to Harrisonburg, Virginia to be closer to her son Jon and his family. Before long, she became an
active member of Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalists, taking on the role of Board member, Board Moderator, member of the
Social Justice Committee, and organizer of the HUUAuction. She ran an antiques booth in nearby Broadway and took friends on
tours of antiques in the Valley.At the same time, she became a leader in the local Democratic Party, the ClimateAction Alliance of
the Valley (CAAV), continuing her lifelong role as an activist. She developed deep connections as well, attended music festivals,
concerts, and dinners with the Divas. Her friends did their best to make sure she was cared for during her final months.
Jo Anne made lifelong friends wherever she lived, friends who loved and respected her and enjoyed her sense of humor and
dedication to causes. In a 2021 Story Corps recording, she said that she wanted to be remembered as “someone who cared for
people and made a difference in the world.” She said her mother told her to leave the world a better place than you found it. For all
who knew and loved Jo Anne, we can agree that she certainly did that and more.
There will be a private burial at Duck Run Natural Cemetery in Penn Laird, VA. AMemorial Service to celebrate Jo Anne’s life
will be held at Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalists at 4101 Rawley Pike, Rockingham, VAon Sunday, November 13, 2022 at
2:00 PM. The service will also be available on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81056151896
Kyger Funeral Home