Joanna O. Hennessy

Joanna Oury Hennessy, 59, of Fort Collins, Colorado, passed away peacefully on November 29, 2016 in the comfort of her home surrounded by family. Joanna was born on October 31, 1957 to CL and Dorothy A. Oury in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She graduated from Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne in 1976. In 1980 she moved to Boulder to be near the Rocky Mountains. She worked at Old Chicago in Boulder as a waitress, which she eventually retired from after 25 years. It was there that she met the love of her life, Larry Hennessy. Larry was a line cook at Old Chicago. He told Joanna that she couldn’t have the food to serve her customers until she agreed to go out on a date with him. She complied and their first date was at Folsom Field attending a Rolling Stones concert. Each of them attended the concert separately with a friend. They ended up ditching their friends to be with each other and they never looked back. Larry and Joanna were married on May 26, 1984 in Estes Park, Colorado. Joanna was a very active soul. She loved to hike the Rocky Mountains, garden in her backyard, go to numerous concerts, scrapbook, and make blankets and quilts to give as gifts to friends and family. You could give Joanna 20 shirts and she would make a personal quilt from them. The family has many of these cherished gifts and they will continue to remember her in their many years ahead. Joanna had a passion to raise money for cancer research, particularly breast cancer. She participated in not one, not two, but three 3 Day Breast Cancer walks, raising thousands of dollars for research. She fought for 15 years with great courage against cancer until the day of her passing.

Joanna was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Daniel Oury.

She is survived by her husband of a fantastic 32 years, Larry Hennessy; three daughters, Nicole Ryan Hennessy, Danielle (Henry) Poburka, and Josephine Marie Hennessy; two grandchildren, Henry Poburka the IV and soon to arrive his little brother, yet to be named; three brothers, David (Sherry) Oury, John (Molly) Oury, and Donald Oury; and one sister, Jane (Tom) Minick.

Donations may be made in care of Allnutt to the Domus Pacis Family Respite program, giving the gift of respite vacation to families with a loved one whom is terminally ill. The Hennessy family is grateful to have received one of these vacations with Joanna.

A Celebration of Joanna’s Life will take place this Sunday, December 4, 2016 at 11:00 AM at the Allnutt Drake Chapel, 650 W. Drake Rd., Fort Collins, CO, 80526. A reception will follow the service.