Ann Jo Arata

Jo was an adventurous soul. She met her husband of sixty years on a blind date and corresponded with him while he shipped out for the Korean War. Jo and Bob married on December 31, 1954 and then moved to the naval air station at Beeville, TX during the 1950’s Dust Bowl. Jo was glad to see Texas in the rearview mirror, never imagining that after living in Memphis, TN, Little Rock, AR, Chicago, IL, and Columbus, OH during the early years of their marriage, she would return to Texas in 1963, making her home in the Dallas area for the rest of her life.

Jo worked as a secretary until her second child was born and returned to work outside the home in 1975 as a school secretary at St Anthony’s Catholic School. In 1982 she was asked to be the school secretary at the new St Mark’s Catholic School in Plano, TX from which she retired in 2007. She dearly loved the students, families, and staff at St Mark’s and St Anthony’s.

Jo was a go-getter, an organizer, and she got things done. She gave herself wholeheartedly to the communities of which she was a part – be it family, church, or school. She was a longtime member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church, then St Michael the Archangel, St Pius X, Our Lady of the Lake, Sacred Heart, and All Saints as she moved across the Dallas area, and in her final years, Prince of Peace. Her children attended school at Good Shepherd, St Pius X, and Bishop Lynch High School. Jo served these communities as a room mother, Girl Scout leader, choir member, PTO president, CCD teacher, eucharistic minister, parish advisory council member, and Bishop Lynch school board member. Jo and Bob could be found on Fridays at the BL Friars’ home games from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Jo was fun-loving. She enjoyed dancing, dining with family and friends, boating, murder mystery parties, movies, family games, playing cards, fashion, performing in the choral and drama groups at Highland Springs Senior Living, playing bingo at Sunrise at Hillcrest, and travel. She and Bob took their young family on camping trips to Big Bend and other national and state parks and to Scott Valley Dude Ranch. They took road trips to visit family in Tennessee, Ohio, and Florida. They traveled to Japan, China, Alaska, and took multiple trips to much of Northern and Western Europe. Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and England were her favorites.

Jo was a grandmother extraordinaire. She loved the name JoJo which her grandchildren gave her and by which she came to be known at the end of her life. She loved taking care of them, shopping for them, and attending their sports games, band performances, plays, Grandparents Days, awards ceremonies, graduations, and weddings as she had done for her children before them.

Jo will be remembered as kind, generous, supportive, loyal, dynamic, and loving. Jo loved deeply and fiercely – whether the beloved was her husband, her children, her grandchildren, her friend, Bishop Lynch High School, the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, or her adopted city and state of Dallas, Texas. She supported and advocated for those she loved through the difficult, challenging times of their lives. We will miss her dearly.

Jo was preceded in death by her husband, Robert (Bob) Arata. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Terry and Alan Arata-Maiers, David Arata, Diane and Chuck Paradowski, Julie and Thom Beyer, Stephen and Kathryn Arata, and Cindy and Mike Ragan; her grandchildren and their spouses: Rachel Arata-Maiers, Chad and Christin Paradowski, Christopher Paradowski, Colton and Enid Paradowski, Zoe Beyer, Jonah Beyer, Jeremy and Emma Arata, Hanna Arata, Julianna Arata, Abby Ragan, and Caroline Ragan; her great-grandson, Sawyer Paradowski; her brothers and their spouses: George Edward and Ellen Riker and Harry and Miriam Riker; her in-laws: Donna and the late John Arata, Madeline and the late Jerry Streich, and Charles and Alice Arata; her best friend, Sr Gabriella Lohan; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children.

We are very grateful to the staff and administrators of Sunrise at Hillcrest, especially Joanne, and Faith Presbyterian Hospice. While all of her children played their parts, we would most especially like to thank David for his steadfast care of Mom / JoJo during the last years of her life.

A private funeral will be held on Saturday, February 13, 2021, at 2:00 pm at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. All are welcome to celebrate Jo’s life with us by viewing the live-stream video of her funeral at ourladyrockwall.org. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Bob and Jo Arata Family Scholarship Fund at Bishop Lynch High School, 9750 Ferguson Road, Dallas, TX 75228.