Surrounded by her four children, our beloved mother, Mary Josephine Coe (Mary Jo), passed away November 29, 2024, at her home in Ventura, California, after a short illness.
Mary Josephine Thoman was born October 20, 1929, in Conneaut, Ohio, to Ivan Arthur Thoman and Josephine Melvina Thoman. She grew up in Warren, Ohio, attending Laird Elementary School, East Junior High School, and graduating from Warren G. Harding High School in 1947. Sewing classes were a passion and she cleaned blackboards after school to earn money to purchase fabric. Her love for sewing endured a lifetime. She attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where she was inducted into two honor societies, Mortar Board and Omicron Nu, and was a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. Mary Jo graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics.
Seeking additional education, the following summer Mary Jo received a fellowship to study child psychology at Merrill-Palmer school (Wayne State University) in Detroit. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Michigan in 1953, after which she moved to Cleveland, Ohio to work at Hanna Perkins school (Case Western Reserve University) which specialized in assisting children with emotional difficulties. There she enjoyed being on a psychology panel with Sigmund Freud’s daughter Anna Freud. While in Cleveland, Mary Jo met her future husband, Reverend Austin Coe, at the Church of the Covenant’s singles group he was attending while a pastor at Euclid’s Lakeshore Christian Church. A favorite activity during their courtship was sailing on Lake Erie in a boat that Austin co-owned. Mary Jo and Austin married on December 28, 1957, in Warren, Ohio, at First United Presbyterian church. They started their family just prior to a long-distance move in 1960 to Downey, California, where Austin would lead the congregation at Downey Memorial Christian Church.
Mary Jo and Austin moved to Ventura, California, in 1973 when Austin became a senior pastor at Ventura First Christian Church. In Ventura, Mary Jo taught classes in Child Development, Marriage in the Family, and Nursery School Administration as a professor at Ventura College. Her engaging and organized teaching style was appreciated by many. While juggling the demands of family and teaching, she and Austin took on the challenge of rental property ownership. Mary Jo worked tirelessly alongside Austin in this endeavor, her strong attention to detail and excellent memory being great assets.
Mary Jo’s life passions were many. She was an accomplished seamstress, sewing many clothes that her children and husband cherished. Additional creative expressions included making gifts and cards, and organizing craft projects for her children’s birthday parties. She often said the best card or gift she could receive was one that someone made. She became accomplished in the art of silk screening and screened large prints and greeting cards, sending original cards each Christmas to family and friends. She was a 50-plus year active member of P.E.O., maintaining many enduring friendships with her P.E.O. sisters. A voracious reader, she often ended her day by reading in bed. She loved nature, flowers, and walking outdoors especially on the beach, and exploring tidepools. She and Austin instilled an interest in travel in their children through trips each summer in their camper, including a 6 week-long cross-country trip in 1973.
Mary Jo was a loving mother, always making time to listen and support her family. She imparted great kindness and wisdom to her children, for which they are eternally grateful. A phrase spoken often to her family was “Remember how much I love you.” Mary Jo is survived by four children (Nancy Coe, Brenda Coe, Martin Coe, and Sharon Coe), three grandchildren (Emily Storz, Grant Coe, Griffin Coe), and two great-grandsons (Carlin and Declan Storz). She is preceded in death by her husband Austin.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Food Share of Ventura County, Project Understanding (Ventura), or an organization of your choice. A Celebration of Life service is planned for January.