Jo R. Cassidy

Jo R. Cassidy
1934-2017
Jo Reeser Cassidy passed peacefully in her sleep Friday, February 10, 2017 at her home in Cypress, Texas, just outside of Houston, in the loving company of her husband Martin. She endured a 4 months of hospital stay recovering from a heart attack and almost succeeded when she suddenly passed away.
Jo was born to Carrie and Dr. Norman Reeser, living her youth in Lancaster and Camp Hill Pennsylvania. A gifted student and writer, she attended Wellesley College graduating in 1955 with a degree in English. Upon graduation, that same week, she married Martin Cassidy and she set out for a life with him of domestic and inter-national exploration in the oil business, mainly with Amoco. They were married 61 years and she was loved the final 4 months of life as much as the first 4 months of marriage.
In addition to her loving husband Martin, Jo is survived by three children, Cathy Jo and husband Don, of Ventura, CA and their son Cory, Dr. Brandt G. Cassidy and his son James and daughter Meghan of Norman OK and youngest daughter Caroline and her husband Chris Cooper of Boston MA, and their sons Dustin and Brandon.
She is preceded in death by her parents and brother Jim Reeser.
Jo was a homemaker, wife, and mother in a number of locations, including 4 years in Libya, 4 years in London and in various locations in the USA, most notably in Chicago and Texas and was always active outside the home as a writer, working at times for the Harrisburg Patriot News, the Norman transcript OK, Curriculum Inovations IL and as a free lance writer for World Topics.
She was certified as a Braillist by the Library of Congress in 1963 and brailed for blind students and adults all her adult life until her final illness. She loved that service and worked as a paid braillist for Houston school districts and also as a volunteer for the UK Royal school for the blind. In England, her work became well known and she was recruited to work for the BBC Radio World Service in London. She particularly enjoyed her opportunities to broadcast the program "In Touch". She valued her 50 plus years as brailist for blind students and was pleased with their success in the sighted world. In the final months of her life she was working for the College Station School district with a blind student and very much regretted being unable to continue her work.
Jo was also very involved in Saint Mary's Episcopal Church serving on the Altar Guild of over 20 years and interacting with her many loving friends there. She was a gifted letter writer.
A Celebration of Life for Jo will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at Saint Mary's Episcopal Church, 15415 N. Eldridge Parkway, ( at Louetta and Eldridge ), Cypress, TX 77429 Telephone 281- 370- 2000.
More details of her life and the service are on the website www.cyfairfunerals.com
Published in Houston Chronicle on Feb. 13, 2017