Jo Ann White Lawall, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2024, at the age of 82.
Jo Ann was born on September 7, 1941, in Fredericksburg, VA, to Lloyd and Josephine White, and grew up in Southern New Jersey. Jo Ann graduated as Valedictorian from Southern Regional High School in 1959. She attended Duke University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1963. Jo-Ann then completed her Master's Degree in 1968 from New York University.
Jo Ann spent her professional life working in publishing- as an editor, writer, and researcher. She was also the author of four books. In addition to publishing, Jo Ann had a lifelong passion for breeding, raising, and showing Shih Tzu dogs and was known globally for her extensive knowledge of the breed. She held executive positions and served on the Board of Directors for the American Shih Tzu Club, where she continued to serve until the time of her death.
She also had a passion for gardening and served on the Gardening Committee where she lived. Jo Ann also loved theater, ballet, and music and did volunteer work in her local theaters.
Jo Ann will be deeply missed by her loving family and friends. She is survived by her brother, Michael White; her stepchildren Sharyn Lawall, Deborah Pappas, and Richard Lawall and her eight grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard W. Lawall and stepdaughter Patrice Lawall, Although Jo Ann's presence will be greatly missed, her memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sarasota Ballet (www.sarasotaballet.org); the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (www.phassociation.org); or the American Shih Tzu Club Charitable Trust (www.shihtzu.org/charitable_trust) in Jo Ann's honor.
