Joan "Jo" Crow Apthorp

Born in Tampa on July 16, 1943, Jo Crow Apthorp grew up on Davis Island spending time with her beloved parents, Joan and Francis Crow. Her sister and best friend, Melinda Crow Harper, was her constant companion from an early age. Her earliest days were spent at Seaborn preschool and Gorrie Elementary, and later Wilson Middle and Plant High School. Jo spent much of her childhood competing in equestrian events. For a time, the Crow family lived with Jo's grandparents, Louise and Jack Johnston, a period when some of her favorite memories were made.

Jo attended Hollins College, then married and moved to Tallahassee, where she gave her time generously to Head Start, Meals on Wheels, and oral history work documenting the lives of Black citizens. She especially valued her service on the Tallahassee Park Board, which suited her lifelong love of nature and gardening. It was in Tallahassee that Jo welcomed her son and daughter, James and East, into the world, and she adored them deeply and without reservation.

Jo's creative eye was evident throughout her life. Whether it was examining the history behind a priceless antique, tending her exquisite courtyard gardens, or even donning the latest striking fashion, she had a genuine gift for seeing beauty and bringing it to life. While in Tallahassee, she pursued her Master's in Interior Design at FSU and later moved to Miami, where she founded Jo Apthorp Interiors, a design firm she ran for decades. In Coconut Grove, she was a member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Beaux-Arts, the Red Cross Ball committee, the Junior League of Miami, and Coral Reef Yacht Club. She also served as a guide in the gardens of Vizcaya. Miami was where she raised James and East, pouring herself into their lives with unwavering devotion.

Jo eventually returned to Tampa, where she continued her design work and remained active in the community. She joined the H.B. Plant Museum Society, the Founders Garden Club, and was a 50-year member of the Junior League of Tampa. She attended St. John’s Episcopal Church and found special comfort in her eucharistic visits from the church in recent years.

For the last eleven years, Jo shared a home with her daughter East, son-in-law Ken, and grandson Anders. To live alongside three generations, to watch her grandson grow, to be surrounded each day by family was, by every measure, a beautiful way to complete a beautiful life.

Jo is predeceased by her son James, who passed away after a sudden illness last year. She is survived by her daughter East (Ken Malmberg) and grandson Anders Malmberg; her sister Melinda Crow Harper (Bruce); her niece Sarah Harper O'Brien (Matt); and her nephews Jackson Harper (Monica) and Will Harper.

To honor the hospice care Jo received, the family welcomes donations to LifePath Hospice of Tampa Bay in lieu of flowers.

A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 906 S. Orleans Avenue, at 4:30 on April 24th.