JoAnn "Jo" Rockwell Rich

Rich, JoAnn (Jo) Rockwell.  - age 97,  died Nov. 1 in Wayzata. She was preceded in death by Willis F. Rich, her husband of 68 years, daughter Roxanne and grandson Willy.  She is survived by sons Ronald (Tracee) and Andrew, grandchildren Ryan, Chad and Jessica and great grandson Jack.

Born October 21, 1924, Jo grew up in Hibbing and graduated  high school at Kemper Hall in Kenosha, WI.   She graduated from Wellesley College in 1946 and worked in cancer research at what is now the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.  

Her college roommate introduced Jo to her brother - they  married in 1947 with Bill taking a position with Northwestern Bank in Minneapolis - his employer of 37 years (retiring as Vice Chair of Norwest Bank in 1984).

In 1956, Jo became a trustee of the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital and also served on the board of the Minneapolis Area Red Cross.

In 1966, Jo became an accredited medical technologist by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and worked at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, where she helped set up the Teenage Medical Service lab. 

In the 1970s and 1980s, she ran the consulting firm Weddings of Minnesota.  

Jo was active in the Junior League and the Wellesley Club for over 50 years, memberships she credited for making so many friends in the Twin Cities. 

Jo was a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and later St. Martin’s-by-the-Lake, where she served on the vestry and helped develop the church’s Interment Garden.

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