Santa Clara

Jo-Ann Birdsall passed away on May 12, 2025, surrounded by family and friends.

Jo-Ann was born February 3, 1954 in Camden, New Jersey, the second child of Joseph and Grace Britton. She spent her time growing up in Merchantville, New Jersey and Yardley, Pennsylvania, moving with her family to Southern California in 1963. Six years later, they relocated to Petaluma, California. Jo-Ann graduated from Petaluma High School in 1972.

She met her future husband, David Birdsall, while attending Santa Rosa Junior College. The two of them later transferred to UC Davis, where Jo-Ann studied textiles.

They were married on September 25, 1976 at Elim Lutheran Church in Petaluma.

They returned to UC Davis for another year, while Dave did some graduate work, then moved to the Santa Clara Valley in 1977. Jo-Ann worked in fabric, eventually becoming manager of a local House of Fabrics store.

The next several years were spent on pursuing careers, making a home, and travel. Jo-Ann and Dave were both rabid baseball fans, Jo-Ann rooting originally for the Phillies and Dave for the Dodgers. In married life, they compromised, transferring their loyalties to the San Francisco Giants. Jo-Ann pursued craft hobbies with her mother and sister, Robin, selling their wares at craft shows. Jo-Ann was an avid reader; their home is filled with books. Jo-Ann also volunteered extensively at church.

Daughter Sarah was born in 1989. Sarah took an early interest in theater, starting with shows in the third grade.

Jo-Ann became a school volunteer, PTA officer and a theater mom, using her skills in fabrics and clothing to forge a new career in costume design. At first, her efforts were volunteer gigs for Sarah’s shows, but after Sarah went off to college, Jo-Ann began getting paid jobs as costume designer for local community theater groups.

Over the next 16 years, she costumed shows for Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, Starting Arts in San Jose, Stage 1 Theater in Fremont, San Jose Lyric Theater, Sunnyvale Community Players, Bus Barn Stage Company in Los Altos, Woodside Musical Theater and finally, West Valley Light Opera in Saratoga. Fittingly, for her last show, Young Frankenstein, Sarah was in the cast, so she ended her theater career where she started, costuming her daughter.

In 2017, Jo-Ann faced a fast-growing lymphoma. Six rounds of chemotherapy and 15 days of radiation cured it, but left her walking with a cane for her remaining years. She continued to live life fully, though, costuming shows once again when able. During the Covid shutdown, she applied her sewing skills to the important task of producing face masks. She made over 400 masks over the first year for friends and organizations near and far.

In the fall of 2024, Jo-Ann suffered astroke. She was recovering well by the following January, but then her condition worsened, leading to repeated hospitalizations.

Jo-Ann is survived by her husband, David, daughter, Sarah, sisters Robin Butts and Kim Britton, and many cousins and in-laws and friends. We miss her deeply; her loss is ahole in our hearts.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 11am at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Saratoga, California. In lieu of flowers, the family notes that many theater outfits have recently lost governmental grant funding, and asks that you consider a donation to your local theater company in Jo-Ann’s memory.