Jo Anne Allen Lile (1940 – 2025)

Known for her contagious personal energy and a big smile that would brighten a room, Jo Anne was deeply loved and appreciated by her family, friends, and community. Jo Anne Lile, 85, of Gladstone, MO, died in Kansas City of cancer on August 2, 2025.

Jo Anne was born in Woodward, OK in 1940 to Bob and Dete Mandigo, and moved several times around Oklahoma and Kansas before settling in the Kansas City area. Jo Anne graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1958, and then studied nursing at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, graduating with a BSN degree in 1962.

Jo Anne married Wayne Lile in 1964, and had two sons, Michael born in 1969 and Jonathan born in 1972. They divorced in 1990, and Jo Anne never remarried.

Though she loved being a nurse, mother, and volunteer, Jo Annes’s favorite role was that as a grandparent. She treasured her time with Maggie and Sophie, and loved being their Grammy Lile, regularly taking them to Barnes and Noble to buy books, and then to Perkins for dinner and pie. One of her favorite traditions was the “Christmas jammies” she would give them every year, special pajamas to wear on Christmas day.

Jo Anne was passionate about being a nurse and very much loved her work. She took a professional break to be a full-time mom when Mike was born, then went back to work at an eye clinic when Jon turned five. In 1989 she decided to make a change, and went to work for Intracorp doing workers compensation case management. Over the next few years she drove every mile of Kansas highway multiple times to attend appointments with patients and document their care. Eventually she moved into a management role, supervising the other nurses as she became a “mother hen” to many of them. She finally retired in early 2022 at age 81.

Jo Anne was a beloved and active member of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. She coordinated Eucharistic visits to homebound parishioners, prayer ministries, Cursillo, and greeting newcomers. Many remember Jo Anne being one of their first hugs, and as they got to know her more they experienced her loving care, her healing prayer, and her unshakable faith. She embodied what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in both word and action.

Everyone who knew Jo Anne knew how much she loved KU Basketball. She and her close friend and fellow KU alum Karen Stolte would often exchange texts during Jayhawk games, celebrating victory and commiserating over losses. Jo Anne also had a deep love of language. She was a voracious reader, and always had at least two or three books she was reading. At one time in her life she would regularly do the New York Times crossword in ink, and had an amazing talent for word puzzles. Finally, she absolutely loved puns. From the worst groaner of a “dad joke” to the cleverest play on words, a good pun would always make her laugh.

Jo Anne will always be remembered for her youthful energy, contagious laugh, huge smile, and the way that she could take charge of a situation and get everyone moving in the same direction. We couldn’t have asked for a better parent, grandparent, sister or friend, and we will miss her every day.

Jo Anne is survived by her sons Michael and Jonathan, and her brother Clark.

Unfortunately, the cancer that claimed Jo Anne’s life is not one that is normally detected by routine screening; it came as a surprise to us all. However, in many cases early detection allows more effective treatment, improving the odds of recovery and remission. Please talk to your physician about cancer screening and consider scheduling screening as directed.

Jo Anne’s funeral service will be held on Tuesday August 12 at 4:00pm at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer located at 7110 RT-9, Kansas City, MO; with a reception to follow. Donations to the Church of the Redeemer would be greatly appreciated.