Jo Anne Price

o Anne Price was born on November 22, 1946 in Oakland, California. Jo Anne was the first of four children born to James and Joan (Knox) Edwards. Jo Anne was followed by her brother, Gerald Edwards, and twins Janet and Jeanette Edwards. The family resided in San Francisco and San Mateo for a short time before settling down in Fresno, California in 1956.

While attending Bullard High School, Jo Anne excelled in sewing, so much so that she made her first wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses. After graduating from Bullard in 1964, Jo Anne went on to study nursing at Fresno State College. Jo Anne began her nursing career at St. Agnes Hospital in Fresno and later completed her Master's in Science in 1990 at Northern Illinois University.

Jo Anne married Ken Kurpeski, from Marengo, Illinois, on May 17th, 1969 in Fresno, California. The couple moved to Marengo in 1970. They had two daughters, Julie Anne (Bonham) in 1972 and Suzanne Marie (Meli) in 1981. Together, Jo Anne and Ken had a rich social life that included disco dancing, attending concerts and playing in a volleyball league. Jo Anne and Ken divorced in 1987. While in Illinois, Jo Anne worked at St. Anthony's Hospital in Rockford and St. Joseph's Hospital in Elgin.

Jo Anne married Jean Price on September 19th, 1987 in Hebron, Illinois. Early in their marriage, Jo Anne and Jean worked tirelessly to beautify their home and gardens, took annual summer houseboating trips to Kentucky with friends and family and hosted elaborate parties. Jo Anne and Jean moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona in 1994 to escape the brutal Illinois winters. In Arizona, Jo Anne worked as the Director of Education at Havasu Regional Medical Center and finished her working career at Kingman Regional Medical Center.

In her retirement era, Jo Anne was known for her competitive golf scores, her impeccably-coordinated Chicos outfits and jewelry, her love for hosting a good party and her delicious home cooking. Jo Anne appreciated the fine arts; she attended numerous off-Broadway theater performances, a multitude of concerts and often purchased art pieces by local artisans. Jo Anne loved to travel! She seized the opportunity to explore a range of exotic locations such as Australia, Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, Panama, Italy and Turkey with Jean and with close friends and family. Jo Anne was a devout Catholic who found solace in the practice and traditions of her faith.

Jo Anne is survived by: her husband, Jean Price of Peoria, AZ; her children Julie (Harley) Bonham of Phoenix, AZ and Suzanne (Leo) Meli of Littleton, CO; stepdaughters Karen (Paul) Glaeser of Appleton, WI and Diane (Scott) Cheshire of Kyle, TX; her grandchildren Megan Glaeser, Reagan Bonham, Dominic and Madeline Meli, Kevin, Kaitlyn and Courtney Cheshire; brother Gerald (Luigi) Edwards, sisters Janet (Dennis) Peevyhouse and Jeannette (Bill) Musso; sister-in-law Helen Price; as well as several cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Jo Anne was preceded in death by her parents, James (Jim) Edwards and mother Joan Miller.

The funeral mass will be at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church (6180 W. Utopia Rd, Glendale, AZ, 85308. A lunch reception will be held at The Links Neighborhood Grill (18823 N Country Club Pkwy, Peoria, AZ 85382), beginning at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations on behalf of Jo Anne to:

Hospice of the Valley: https://www.hov.org/donate/donate-now/

Soroptimist International (Kingman Chapter): https://sikingman.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=305&club_id=63084&item_id=8851