Jo Ann Smith Curtis
Jo Ann S. Curtis – 14 Dec 1928 - 2 Sept 2026
Jo Ann Smith Curtis was born in Pocatello, Idaho, on December 14, 1928, the fourth child of Frank and Bertha Smith. Born prematurely, she was reportedly placed near the wood stove to keep warm. She grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, experiences that certainly shaped her approach to life. Although two marriages one did not bring lasting happiness, Jo Ann was the proud mother of two sons, Robert Wade and Stephen Kent, whom she raised as a single mother after moving to Glendale, California, in 1957. Her life was defined by independence, intelligence, self-reliance, adventure, and public service.
Without ever attending college, Jo Ann earned her law degree at the age of 41 from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. From there she embarked on a divers legal career including private, public, and corporate practice. In 1972, she became the first female Deputy District Attorney in Riverside, California, breaking barriers for women in the legal profession.
She spent more than sixty years living in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area where she developed a reputation as a talented and successful attorney. During her years as a prosecutor, she handled many challenging cases, including representing the prosecution in a case involving a man who had once appeared on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Among her belongings was a report card from her work at Wausau Insurance that rated the quality of her work as outstanding, the quantity as good, and her ability to work with others as fair—an assessment that reflected her fiercely independent nature.
Following her retirement from the District Attorney’s Office, she continued practicing law as both a defense attorney and a public defender, bringing the same dedication and skill to representing those in need of legal counsel.
Jo Ann survived two major accidents that left her hospitalized and, for an extended period, disabled while raising two young children. At age 52, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After surgery, radiation, and immunotherapy at the city of Hope in Pasadena, she recovered and was considered to have achieved a complete and lasting cure. Her experience with cancer became a spiritual turning point: she became active in the Church and received her endowments in the Los Angeles temple. In her 90s, she served as a worker in the Boise Idaho Temple. Throughout her life, she showed others how to meet adversity with faith and determination. She faced the end of her life with assurance in the Savior’s Atonement and hoped that she would see her departed family again.
Outside the courtroom, the same confidence and determination that shaped her Legal career fueled a tremendous sense of adventure. She loved to travel and took more than fifty cruises in varied parts of the world, with many of her favorite voyages passing through the Panama Canal.
Although she spent much of her adult life living away from her family, she remained deeply connected with those she loved. She lived life with courage, determination, and curiosity, leaving behind a legacy of professional excellence, treasured friendships, unforgettable adventures, and a family who will always remember her with love.
Jo Ann passed away in her apartment at the Providence Senior Living of Fairfax Virginia on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. She is survived by her son Stephen Curtis, four grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by two sons Clifton Lewis Curtis and Lewis Neider.
A memorial reception for Jo Ann will be held at Stover Funeral Home and Crematory in Strasburg, VA on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with a brief program beginning at 6:30p.m.
