Jo Ann Brookner Bender passed away on December 8, 2023. She was born December 16, 1932 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and grew up spending her first decade in Iowa, Louisiana where her parents had a general store and a small farm. Jo Ann spent the next decade plus in Beaumont, Texas, which she always felt was her hometown, surrounded by a large Brookner family. She attended the University of Texas studying journalism and after school worked for Sun Oil Company, her first exposure to the business that would be such a huge part of her life. In 1952 she met the love of her life, Marvin, at the time a Navy Lieutenant stationed in Orange, Texas. They were married in June of 1953, and for the next 68 years it was never just Jo Ann or Marvin, only Jo Ann and Marvin. While she may have started off as a T-Sipper, but like her beloved Marvin, she became a devoted Aggie, through and through. For their almost 40 years with Kerr McGee, the “oilfield” took them to exotic stops like Holland and Nigeria, as well as many years in both Morgan City, Oklahoma City and the last 22 years in Baton Rouge. Jo Ann was preceded in death by her beloved Marvin, her parents Frank and Lena Brookner, Marvin’s parents, Charles and Bertha Bender, her brother, Ralph Israel Brookner, her siblings by marriage, Emanual and Jo Bender, Sybil Lubarr, Gerard and Thelma Bender, and her closest cousins, Ralph I. and Ruth Brookner. She is survived by her sons Ralph (Edie) and Frank Bender. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jeffrey (Chelsea) Bender, Ashley (Aaron Anderson) Bender, Cody Bender, and Rebecca Bender (Alex Haymonds), as well as her great-grandsons, Elijah Bender and Kaplan and Gideon Anderson. These kids were the light of her life, she loved them even more than she loved her sweets. The family would like to thank the incredible staff at St. James Place, who have enriched her life the last two years, as well as the incredible teams at the Baton Rouge General and The Hospice of Baton Rouge, who have taken such great care of her on her final journey. A graveside service will be held at the Jewish Cemetery, 1415 North St., Baton Rouge, LA, 70806, at 1:30 pm, Sunday, December 10, 2023. A reception will be held at the family’s home immediately following the graveside service. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice. Rabenhorst Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
