Tiemann, Joann L. (Jo), a native St. Louisan who moved to Friendship Village in Chesterfield in
2011, passed away on October 10, 2026, in the company of friends. She had been in hospice
care for a year after a heroic, 15-year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Jo was born on August 24, 1934, to the late Clifford (Cliff) and Ruth Tiemann of St. Louis. She
spent her childhood years with her parents and younger brother Clifford, Jr. (now deceased) at
their home on Pope Avenue in north St. Louis. Jo attended Harrison Elementary School and
graduated from Beaumont High School in 1952. While in high school, Jo enjoyed singing with
the school chorus and maintained her love of singing and music throughout her life. After
graduating from high school, Jo attended Elmhurst College, graduating in 1956 with a
bachelor’s degree in speech correction. She worked as a speech/language pathologist in the
Ferguson-Florissant School District for several years and then took time off for graduate studies
at Syracuse University where she graduated with a master’s degree in speech correction in
1958.

After her graduation from Syracuse University, Jo accepted a position as a speech/language
pathologist with the Troy Albany Schenectady Unified School District in upstate New York. It
was during these years that she became a leader with the Girl Scouts in the Finger Lakes
Region. This affiliation with the scouts fed her love of nature and being with young people as
she enjoyed camping, canoeing and other outdoor activities with the girls in the troop. It also
brought Jo into contact with local friends who visited Cape Cod in the summer months. That
became another lifelong joy as Jo returned to spend the summer on the Cape for most of her
adult life.

Her father’s untimely death in 1959 eventually brought Jo back to St. Louis to care for her
mother. After returning to St. Louis, she accepted a position as an assistant professor in the
Department of Communication Disorders at Saint Louis University (SLU) where she was a gifted
and popular instructor. Jo left SLU in 1974 to work as a supervisor at the Special School District
of St. Louis County (SSD). Her superb mentoring and administrative skills found Jo serving in
numerous programs and working on multiple projects during her long tenure at SSD. She
retired from the Special School District in 1995.

In addition to her love of children and devotion to special education, Jo had a passion for
several things. She enjoyed watching professional sports, particularly women’s basketball, and
professional football and baseball. Jo was a diehard fan of the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball
Team, St. Louis Cardinals Football Team (Big Red) and the St. Louis Rams. After her retirement
from SSD, Jo traveled internationally and thoroughly enjoyed those experiences. Jo had a
diverse circle of loyal friends from her teaching years and maintained contact with them until
the end of her life. Hers was a life rich in meaningful relationships.
Jo is survived by her three nieces, Susan (Steven) Stone, Jennifer (Thomas) Pimmier, and
Melissa (Charles) Zimmerman.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2026 in the Trillium Theater at Friendship Village Chesterfield, 15201 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield, MO 63017. A 1:00 p.m. visitation will be followed by a 2:00 p.m. service.

She will be interred at Zion Cemetery with her parents.Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the
donor’s charity of choice.