Jo Ann Horton Strahorn, loving mother and grandmother, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, November 5th.
She was 94 years old.
Born to Isabelle and William Crawford she spent her early childhood in Sausalito, California during the Depression. She remembered how the chilling wind and fog would roll in on the San Francisco Bay and how she warmed herself around the woodburning stove. She witnessed the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and walked across it the day it opened in 1937. Soon after, the family moved back to Oregon where most of her relatives lived. She vividly remembered her 14th birthday when Pearl Harbor was attacked and changed the course of many lives.
Jo Ann loved to dance. In high school she said the kids would even dance to the swing music of the big bands in the cafeteria during lunch. Her favorite subject was art, which turned out to be a lifetime passion and hobby.
When she was 20 years old she went on a date with Navy veteran Richard Horton and he was smitten.
He asked her to marry him on their second date and she became Mrs. Richard Horton in 1948.
They settled in Santa Barbara and raised their four children. The family pastime became horseback riding. And JoAnn joined in, learning how to ride with the kids. A lot of time was spent horse camping, going on trail rides, going to horseshows and being involved in the Montecito YMCA. Tragically, Richard passed away at the age of forty-eight. Jo Ann raised the children on her own, but was very grateful for all the loving support of her friends and the community.
Jo Ann had many passions: cooking, fashion, art, bridge, and crossword puzzles. She did crosswords until her time of death – she amazed her children with her ability to answer obscure questions even after losing her memory!
She was the rock of the family, always hosting the holiday dinners and family get togethers. She will be dearly missed by her children, grandchildren and friends.
Jo Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Horton and second husband, Bob Strahorn, her sister, Nan and her son, David. She is survived by her children, Ann, Richard, and Tom and her grandchildren, David, Sam, Loren, and Serena.
The family is having a private memorial.
