Jo Ellen Myerly

Jo Ellen Myerly age 80, passed away Monday, Aug. 30 2021, at Boonton Care Center, Boonton NJ.  She was a resident there since July 2019. She was pre deceased by her parents and is survived by her husband of 57 plus years David Myerly, Jr. Denville, NJ. Jo was born in Elkins, WVA. August, 6, 1941. Her father, Arden Donald Currence and mother Marguerite E. Currence were both from Elkins, WVA. Donald was a forest ranger in his younger years and came to Hagerstown, and became employed by Fairchild Aircraft and became a Logistics Manager. They lived at 520 North Mulberry St. Jo Ellen’s mother worked at a dress shop, was a homemaker, baker, and made clothes for Jo.

Jo Ellen attended Broadway School (grades 1-6) 1946-52. She attended Woodland Way Jr. High (grades 7-9) 1952-55 and was active in volleyball and other sports. She played in the school band, sang in choruses, was a duckpin bowler, an avid reader with good grades. She attended Hagerstown High School, (grades 10-12) 1955-59, and graduated from the old HHS school with the first graduating class in 1959 from the newly named North Hagerstown High School NHHS. In August 1960 Jo Ellen began attending Western Maryland College at Westminster, MD. While there she played Lacrosse, which was not easy because she had asthma. During the next year her Dad became ill and she left college to help at home. Jo began working at Pangborn Corporation in Hagerstown as a clerk and stayed until 1970.

Jo met Dave in 1960 on a double date while he was home on a weekend from the US Navy at Norfolk, VA. The dated until March 1965 when Dave proposed as he became employed with AT&T. They married Sept. 11, 1965, in Hagerstown and lived in an apartment on Cleveland Ave. In 1968 they purchased a 3-bedroom house on Paradise Church Rd. near the Mason Dixon Line. Dave was President of the Hub City Riders M/C Club and they attended many M/C events including the 200 mile National at Daytona, FL. From 68-70 they were both active with the Hagerstown Junior Chamber Jaycees. In 1970 Dave was promoted to a Washington, DC, administrative position in security with AT&T. They purchased a new home south of Frederick, MD on Araby Church Rd.. With this move, Jo left Pangborn and became active in the Frederick and Maryland Jaycees and became a crafter. She was an excellent sand painter making sand terrariums and became very knowledgeable of silver jewelry. She bought and sold crafts, American Indian Jewelry and Pottery and they participated in many weekend major mid atlantic events using their Winnebago Motor Home to travel. They sold at events that drew thousands each weekend in MD, WVA, VA, PA, and DC.

Jan. 71, Dave was promoted to AT&T Operations Supv. at Site R,Underground Pentagon, at Ft. Ritchie MD/Blue Ridge Summit, PA.. Their Hagerstown home had not sold and they remodeled and moved back. They lived there until 77 when Dave was promoted to AT&T Headquarters, Bedminster, NJ. During those years they both participated in Jaycee National and International annual convention events. They attended Criminal Justice Conferences at Lincoln, Nebraska. Jo went with Dave to these events including many visits at prisons. Dave was awarded a National Award that year for his work at Prisons around the area. Jo was very supportive and worked closely with many Maryland Jaycee & Jaycettes at Frederick, Pen Mar, Hancock, Brunswick, Hagerstown and MCTC & MCI Prisons at Breathedsville, MD. They participated with Jaycees in  plays, haunted houses, soap box derbies, walkathons, fundraising events, carnivals, fairs, parades, and car shows. For 25 years each June they attended the National Jaycee Conventions in the US and Canada and each Nov. traveled to attend the JCI International World Conferences around the world.

Jo and Dave moved to NJ in Nov 77.  From Sept. to Nov, they were looking for a house. Dave was working at AT&T Headquarters, Bedminster, NJ. They used their Winnebago as housing while looking for a home in central NJ.  Jo never complained and each day after Dave left for work, Jo was picked up by a realtor and go see houses. She did this Mon-Thurs and each Friday they would pack up, like gypsies, drive to Hagerstown, stay until Sunday evening, and return to NJ. It was tough and Jo never complained. After a month, they changed realtors and began looking in northern NJ, Morris County. Jo found a house under construction in Denville and they made the purchase. It was not ready until after Thanksgiving. Jo was my rock and a wonderful partner through these hard times. We moved in Thanksgiving week Nov 77. The house is on a private 9-hole golf course, Peace Pipe G.C. where we met many amazing people with many becoming friends and golfing buddies, however Jo never played golf.

We were country music fans and followed ALABAMA. From 1970 to today and owned condos at Ocean Creek, Myrtle Beach, SC. ALABAMA got their start at the Bowery in Myrtle Beach. Dave became President of The Lodge and Ocean Creek HOA with Jo Ellen as his First Lady. ALABAMA built and opened their theater across from Ocean Creek at that time and Jo and Dave attended many ALABAMA shows in Myrtle Beach and traveled to many other ALABAMA shows and events in cities and venues around the country. We became friendly with “THE BOYS” and attended ALABAMA JUNE JAMS in Fort Payne, AL, the groups home town. We met celebrities, country artists, music and sports people and Dave was invited to join the Randy Owen Celebrity June Jam Golf Tournaments. Jo and Dave joined in all events and made many wonderful friends and memories.

Jo and Dave have been married 57 years and live at 5 Bush Road, Denville, NJ 07834. They personally operated and managed the Denville Township recycling center for years before the town accepted responsibility. They served together as the town Environmental Committee and Jo became the Secretary of the Denville Jaycees. Dave became President. Jo became very good at arranging travel for David as he traveled with AT&T and later became an Official Travel Agent working from Fox Hill Travel RT 46 at Mountain Lakes, NJ.

They traveled and cruised extensively since 1968 until Jo could not go anymore. They visited 54+ countries and touched all continents except the Arctic & Antarctic. Since 1968 they cruised on 75+ cruises with 30 on Carnival Ships. From the newest big ships to small 16 ft. private yachts. They traveled to most countries: Northern Europe, the UK, South America, Central America, Panama, Honduran and the Bay Islands, Australia and Tasmania, Hawaii, Canada, Caribbean, Iceland, Greenland, Russia, Cuba, Latvia, Croatia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Azores, Corsica, Sicily, Greece, Maldives, Monaco, Lichtenstein and many more. They experienced places and things most never have a chance to see. They stood face to face with a wild Alaskan grisly, up close with Bald Eagles, snakes, wombats, koalas, kangaroos, penguins and other species. They sailed in the Upper Amazon in a small boat from Peru to Brazil, fished and ate Piranha, swam with pink river dolphins, visited Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, the Vatican, met the Pope and saw Venice up close, blew glass in Murano, Italy, Pompei, toured old Greece, flew a float plane from Anchorage, Alaska and circled 500 feet above Mt. Everest and the base camp, flew for miles over the tundra, saw the massive tide change of Sewards Arm, stopped at small Alaskan villages to eat and shop, visited Aborigines in the outback, rode a camel to dinner at a winery. Jo fought with an Emu, (he won) went to Machu Pichu, traded with Amazon natives for blow guns, saw an Anaconda dance by the Anaconda tribe way into the jungle, Jo almost started an international; incident in China over a fur hat purchase, visited the Great Wall and The Walled City at Tianamen Square, shopped in Ushuia, Patagonia, rounded the Cape, sailed the Chilean and Greenland Fiords, saw the Southern Christ of the Andes, spent an afternoon with the person who first dove and found the Titanic, and the guy who wrote the book, met and had lunch in London with Richard and David Chamberlain, gambled in Monaco and other world Casinos, saw The Hermitage at St. Petersburg, visited East Berlin through Check Point Charlie before the wall came down, traded with Hopi. Navaho, Cheyenne, and Lahoka and other tribes in their homes on reservations, before laws no longer allow this. Managed a thriving hobby craft business selling American Indian Jewelry Terraniums, other jewelry at regional weekend arts and crafts shows from our Winnebago Motor Home in VA,WVA,MD, PA and DC.

Dave and Jo Ellen thank Dr. Leslie Feigin, his staff, and nurses, doctors, and many aides and staff at Boonton Care, Boonton, NJ for the years of excellent care given Jo Ellen. The attention and tender care given Jo by so many has been greatly appreciated. You are all angels on earth. Special mention for our close friends and neighbors, Phil and Mary Pascarella and family who accepted us as part of their extended family as well as to Dave and Jeremy Lee and family, and many friends and neighbors at Peace Pipe GC, Frank Corigliano and Zip, and many members, who were always helpful and available to assist when needed.

Cremation will be by Bradley Funeral Home, Whippany, NJ. No services are planned, and condolences may be offered at the Bradley Funeral Home web site: www.bradleyfuneralhomes.com.

A Final Thought – We think about our lives and many of us can say we have done a lot and enjoyed every moment of every trip and event. We suggest people go while you are able and have your health. Don’t worry about being able to afford a trip but do what you can while you are able. Later in life you do not want to say to yourself; I wish I had done that. Go with a friend or loved one and enjoy life together. Make pleasant memories that will carry you through life. Others will remember those times and memories as well. Eventually friends and loved ones may no longer be around or able to go but you can always remember the good times you made together through the memories. Peace to you – Dave and Jo Ellen Myerly.