6/20/44 - 2/28/24

JOSEPHINE NEFF TAYLOR

Jo Taylor, age 79, died on Sunday, January 28, 2024, in Lebanon, Ohio, after a long acquaintance with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 20, 1944, the first child ofFrank Chaffee and Dorothea Sandford Neff. She graduated in 1962 from Wichita High School West, and then attended the University of Kansas for two years. She later completed a degree in Journalism from the University of Cincinnati in 1985.

Jo married Jeffrey Lynn Taylor at Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Topeka, Kansas, on September 7, 1968. Their married life took them to Littleton, Colorado; Omaha, Nebraska; and Cincinnati, Ohio. They were the parents of three children, Zachary St. John Taylor, Oliver Cole Taylor, and Brookleigh Carianne (Annie) Taylor. Jo and Jeff later divorced.

Jo was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Dottie Neff. She is survived by her three children, her daughters-in-law Victoria Taylor and Anna Taylor, and six grandchildren: Stella and June Taylor, and Andrew, Gabriella, Aidan and Wyatt Steele. Also surviving are her three siblings, Cathy Molineux (Barry) of Lawrence, Kansas; Elaine Toland (Rick) of Tecumseh, Kansas; and Frank Chaffee Neff III of Craig, Alaska; nieces Tatum Toland, Lindsey Toland, Faye Callen, and nephew Clint Toland, and their families. Many beloved Sandford cousins, a few distant Neff cousins, and many long-standing friends also survive.

Jo worked as an office manager for many years. She lived in the Clifton area of Cincinnati and became involved in efforts to develop a cooperative grocery store for the neighborhood, helping to raise funds and awareness. She served on the Co-op Board of Directors.Jo also did volunteer work with women prisoners, practicing mindfulness and therapeutic letter-writing. She was associated with Unitarian Universalists at times as well the Dharma Center.

Jo was well-liked and had a great sense of humor. She loved to walk. She loved to read, and she was passionate about national politics.

A “Celebration of Life” for Jo will be held at the St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church, 320 Resor Street in Clifton (Cincinnati), Ohio, on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.

Memorial donations may be made in Jo’s name to the National Down Syndrome Society, 1155 15th Street NW Suite 540, Washington, DC 20005, or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave, FL 17, Chicago, IL  60601.