Mary “Jo” Petterson was born in Seattle, WA to John J. and Mary T. McCauley on July 7, 1957. She passed away February 25, 2025, at age 67, peacefully and comfortably at home with family, in Clinton, WA after a courageous battle against Glioblastoma.

As a little girl, her father’s military career took her to Germany, Virginia, and back to Seattle. When her father retired from the Army in 1965 the family returned to Lancaster, Ohio. Jo grew up in the charming small town that she treasured and which influenced the kind, caring person and beautiful soul she was.

She graduated from William Fisher Catholic High School in 1975, where she formed a multitude of incredible friendships that would span her lifetime. Growing up so close to Columbus, OH, she became an Ohio State Buckeyes fan. After she moved back to the Seattle area in 1989 she would proudly wear her Buckeye gear around town and delighted in finding out how many other Buckeye fans roam the Northwest.

After High School, Jo entered dentistry and continued in the dental field until her retirement, transitioning to work as a surgical assistant at North Sound Oral Surgery for the last 21 years of her career. She excelled at this work, comforting nervous patients with her calming manner, reassurances, and wonderful conversation. Such a warm, comforting & knowledgeable co-worker that the office staff often referred to her as “Mother”.

Jo met Ted at Scott’s Bar & Grill in 1993, while doing Happy Hour with her dental office girls. That night she predicted to her best friend she would “marry that guy”, which came true on September 10, 1994, when they were married at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Edmonds. Ted & Jo moved to Mukilteo in 1995, where the neighbors in their small Mukilteo cul-de-sac became an extremely close “family” and where Jo delighted playing the “other mother” figure to the neighborhood kids.

Their daughter, Katie Elizabeth, was born October 6, 1998. Jo excelled at being a mother and was involved with numerous kids activities, a dugout mom for T-ball, school volunteer, soccer mom, volleyball mom and many other supportive roles performed lovingly, but most importantly was being best friends with her daughter.

On Labor Day weekend of 2018, after months of unusual headaches and fatigue, Jo was diagnosed with Glioblastoma (brain cancer) and started treatments immediately. Statistics said 12 to 18 months but Jo didn’t pay attention to statistics and went on to survive for 6 ½ years after her initial diagnosis.

After the cancer's effects forced her retirement, Jo & Ted were lucky enough to move to wonderful Whidbey Island where the beauty, tranquility, and peacefulness lifted Jo’s spirits, calmed her soul, and reminded her daily of the beauty that surrounds us. The immense support for Jo over these last years reinforced how she had touched so many lives with her friendship, warm spirit, and abundant love.

Jo is survived by her loving husband, Ted; her best friend and daughter Katie, Bellingham; siblings Pat McCauley, Lancaster, OH; Peg Buerhaus, Mukilteo; Tim McCauley, Shoreline; and John McCauley, Edmonds; and several nieces and nephews. Jo was pre-deceased by her oldest brother Michael. 

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Glioblastoma Foundation.

A Celebration of Jo’s Life will be held on May 17th, from 1-3 PM, at the Plaza Room of the Edmonds (WA) Public Library.