Colonel Kilday Obituary

KINGSPORT - Colonel Jo Anne Kilday, USMC (Ret), 87, passed away peacefully at home in Kingsport Tennessee on Monday, Jan 22, 2024.

Born in Ohio, she spent her early years in Baileyton and Greeneville, Tennessee. Jo Anne loved sports, playing both softball and basketball. A graduate of Tusculum College, Jo Anne had spent two summer Marine Corps training sessions at Quantico Virginia prior to graduating. She was, therefore, commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps immediately following her graduation. She served in the Marines for almost twenty-five years, retiring in 1981 as the senior female on active duty. She had many interesting tours of duty but perhaps her favorite was as the Military Secretary to the Commander in Chief, Headquarters, Allied Forces Southern Europe in Naples Italy 1973-1976. Following her retirement Jo Anne, who loved to see and experience the world, made traveling a priority. Besides traveling in the continental United States, she travelled through Australia and New Zealand, South Africa and Zambia, Israel, numerous places in Europe and the United Kingdom, and to Alaska.

Jo Anne was very involved in the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of East Carolina, serving as a Vestry Member and Senior Warden at to different parishes and being a member of several committees and commissions at the Diocesan level. She was also a past president of the Diocesan Episcopal Church Women.

When not traveling or serving her church, Jo Anne enjoyed spending time with family in East Tennessee.

Jo Anne was preceded in death by her father and mother, Jack Haskell and Eula Kilday, her brothers Tommy, Bobby, and Harold (Louise) Kilday, and her very special nephew, Donald Kilday. She is survived by her best friend and partner, Ginger Jacocks, her little chihuahuas Chico and Coco, former sister-in-law Carole Miller, Donald Kilday's wife Lorene, nieces Cheri Horton (Mike), Joey Compton (Chris), nephew Kieth Kilday (Michelle), great nieces Stacie Torbett (Hanes), Stephanie Blackiston (Tim), Brooke Creak (Jeff), and great nephews Seth Compton (Sierra) and Connor Linkous.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a pet rescue organization of your choice, the Woman Marine Association (401 Edgewater Place Suite 600, Wakefield MA 01880), or the American Brain Foundation (201Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415).

Thoughts and memories may be shared with the family at www.jeffersmortuary.com