Joanna “Jo” Tibby

MOUNT VERNON – Joanna “Jo” Tibby, 82, died unexpectedly at her home in Mount Vernon, Maine, on August 3, 2026.

Born Jan. 27, 1944, in Washington, D.C., Jo grew up in Port Washington, NY, with her parents John and Emily, her sister, Ellen, and brother, William “Wil”. After high school, her life took her to many places, including New York City, California, Montreal, Vermont, and abroad before she eventually found her way to Maine. When Jo arrived here, she told people she knew she had “come home.” Jo spent more than half of her life in Mount Vernon, with the help of neighbors and friends, she designed and built the house that became her home.

There is no short obituary that can hold an entire 82-year life—the places traveled, work done, meals prepared, causes supported, cats rescued, friendships made, and all the ordinary moments that become precious once someone is gone. What remains are the stories, the connections, and the many traces of a life lived across many places before Jo found the place she called home.

Jo’s working life was wonderfully varied. She worked in bookstores and restaurants, ran a small graphic arts print shop, dispatched ambulances, baked bread and desserts, and worked as a conductor on the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad. Her travels and many occupations became part of the long and interesting path that eventually brought her home to Mount Vernon.

Jo also gave her time and talents to the community around her. She helped develop Neighbors Driving Neighbors and designed its icon. She participated in Mount Vernon’s Community Partnership Corporation and its work toward affordable senior housing. Again and again, as a neighbor and friend, she offered support, transportation, diabetes education, a warm listening presence, and with the years the increasingly thoughtful observations she called “quack therapy” and others called wisdom. At Bearnstow, where she was a longtime member of the community, Jo served as a local liaison, helped with publicity, and prepared family-style meals during the summer season. She helped bring Bearnstow dancers to Mt. Vernon’s annual early summer crafts fair and helped make it a parade.

Perhaps one of the most enduring parts of Jo’s legacy is her love for cats. Cats in need found a friend in Jo. She rescued homeless cats, cared for them, and worked to find them safe and loving homes. Her home on Bean Road became part of that effort, and over the years cats who might otherwise have been without a home were given another chance because Jo was willing to help. Those cats went on to become beloved companions in other homes and families. In that way, Jo’s kindness to them traveled farther than she may ever have known. Every cat she helped rescue and every home she helped find became another small continuation of something she cared deeply about. Jo leaves behind her own beloved feline family, Honeylee, Sullivan “Sully,” and Phoebe. They, too, are part of Jo’s story.

Jo is remembered by her sister, Ellen; her brother, Wil and his longtime partner Gaye; and the many friends, neighbors, and members of the Mount Vernon and Bearnstow communities whose lives crossed paths with hers.

Jo’s inspirational spirit lives on. Celebrating Jo’s Life – Family, friends, neighbors, and community members are invited to gather in remembrance of Jo on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Community Center, Main Street, Mount Vernon, Maine.

Those wishing to honor Jo’s memory with a donation are invited to consider:

PALS in Manchester, Maine or

any no-kill animal shelter Helping another cat find safety, care, and a home would be a meaningful way to carry forward a part of Jo’s legacy