Jo Anne (Gutekunst) Loughery

Jo Anne Loughery Obituary
Jo Anne Loughery, 64, passed away Saturday, May 22, 2021, following a brief and valiant battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.  Jo was born in Ithica, New York to Richard and Anna Gutekunst.  The daughter of a career naval officer, she lived in various places growing up, including three memorable years in Cairo, Egypt from 1960-63.  After attending Furman University, earning her degree in history and election to Phi Beta Kappa in 1978, she joined the United States Navy and was commissioned in December.  Jo Anne’s twenty-year career as a General Unrestricted Line Officer, included assignments as Protocol Officer for the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Norfolk, VA; Deputy Director of Print Media for the Navy Internal Relations Activity and Editor of the Navy Newsgram, Washington, DC; Executive Officer of Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity Portmouth, VA; Executive Officer of Navy Personnel Support Activity Jacksonville, FL; Communications and Information Systems Infrastructure Officer for NATO Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy; and Director of Special Events for the Naval War College, Newport, RI.  She retired with the rank of Commander in October 1998.  Her awards and medals include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star (in lieu of second award), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with Two Stars, and the NATO Medal for Yugoslavia.

After retiring, Jo and her husband, also a career naval officer, settled in their beloved 18th century house in Scotland, CT, living there longer than anywhere else.  Her passions included their cats (the “Kids”), travel (often with dear friends), college sports (particularly the NCAA Basketball Tournament… “the most wonderful time of the year”), watching British mysteries (“Mystery Sunday”), cooking gourmet meals and entertaining.  When Agatha Christie once described Miss Marple as having “a mind like a bacon slicer,” she might have been describing Jo.  She possessed a keen intellect, extraordinary organizational and accounting skills, and a talent for mathematics.  Jo balanced this with a wry sense of humor, insanely expressive face, and a childlike sense of joy and wonder.  She adored stuffed animals (particularly her worn and trusty Teddy), Giraffes, and all things Disney.

Jo was predeceased by her parents.  She is survived by her adoring husband, Herb; her sister Mary Jane Ellickson (Richard) of Marshville, NC; brother Rick Gutekunst (Anne) of Phoenix, AZ; brother-in-law Donald Loughery (Maria) of Long Beach, CA; five nieces, Stephanie Carnohan of Columbia, SC; Jennifer Wainright (Rick) of Port Orange, FL; Meghan Gutekunst of Berkeley, CA; Kate Walliser (John) of Phoenix, AZ; and Jackie Loughery of Long Beach, CA; and four “grand” nieces (“The Best Aunts Get Promoted To ‘Great’ Aunts”), Maris Wainright, Miller Carnohan, Sophie Wainright and Parker Walliser.

Funeral services and final interment with full honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Cornell Feline Health Center by check, payable to “Cornell University,” and sending to Cornell University, Box 37334, Boone, IA 50037-4334.  Please enclose a note indicating that you wish the gift to be for the Cornell Feline Health Center, and that it is in memory of Jo Anne Loughery.  To make a gift online go to, https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/givingmembership and select “Give online now” at the top of the page.  Alternatively, memorials may be made to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, either online at https://giraffeconservation.org/donate/ or by check to Giraffe Conservation Foundation, 17 S. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, FL 32801.  Please indicate it is in memory of Jo Anne Loughery.

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