JoEllyn King Haros & Family

I have had the privilege of knowing JoEllyn and her beautiful family for several years through our sons' friendship. I know that many others were blessed to know and love her for far longer.

JoEllyn was taken far too young, after battling ovarian cancer valiantly for nearly 11 years. She was an inspiration to so many...she loved her family and friends deeply, had never-ending positivity, was smart as a whip, was super talented in many different ways, had a wicked sense of humor, was no-nonsense and wasn't shy about speaking her mind, was full of life (Carpe diem!), vibrant, and a ray of sunshine to everyone she knew. She believed deeply in the 5 F's: Family, Friends, Food (super, of course), Faith, and a Feisty Attitude. I think she embodied all of these beliefs, and lived them every day.

Jo was a beloved wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, and colleague that will be deeply missed by so very many. I was truly moved while recently reading through her original CaringBridge posts from when she was first fighting her cancer 11 years ago. She expressed some of her wishes in those posts, such as: "Kiss your kids, check out your own health, and enjoy life." That was so JoEllyn...alway thinking about others and their wellness and happiness.

More recently, one of her greatest wishes was to secure her childrens' futures by making sure they graduate from college. In this light, I would like to encourage everyone who knew and loved her to help contribute to this cause. As JoEllyn would have said, "Let's make lemonade out of lemons!"