Jo P. Vargo, age 72, of Lititz, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on December 28th, 2022, after an 11-year battle with cancer. She was the daughter of Paul and Betty Luck and the wife of Thomas R. Vargo, to whom she was married for 48 years.

Jo was a graduate of Newport High School and Shippensburg State College, and she received her mas-ter's degree from Penn State University. In 1972 she began her career teaching kindergarten at Sus-quenita for 10 years before taking time off to raise her two children, after which she resumed teaching at Manheim Central for 23 additional years until her retirement in 2011. Jo was passionate about early childhood education and looked forward with excitement to each school year. In 2000 she was chosen to pilot a new all-day kindergarten program which was so successful that it was implemented district-wide the following year. As a testament to her abilities, she was honored by being selected as Man-heim Central School District Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2001.

Jo was a model mother who always put her family first. She placed her heart and soul into raising her sons, and her unconditional love will never be forgotten. She lived every day to its fullest, and much of her leisure time was spent with the love of her life and husband, Tom. Together they enjoyed attend-ing their sons' sporting events, biking rail trails, kayaking, weight training, tennis, and camping in their travel trailer. She had a deep love for the ocean and a special fondness for Wildwood Crest, NJ, where she often vacationed multiple times a year. She also enjoyed the annual "Vargo Beach Week" where over 50 members of the family descended on Ocean City, NJ as well as visits to her family and friends in Maryland, especially her granddaughter.

An avid gardener, Jo spent countless hours tending her beds and taking pictures of her flowers, which she used on greeting cards as gifts for friends and relatives. She also had a competitive side. Over the course of three decades, she participated in races ranging from 5Ks to half marathons and triathlons and placed in her age group at nearly every event.

Jo was a member of St. James Catholic Church and also enjoyed attending services at Sacred Heart in Cornwall, PA. She would like to give thanks for the countless prayers said on her behalf and the excel-lent care she received from the entire staff at Penn State Cancer Institute in Hershey. She was certain both helped extend her life along with the companionship of her dog Cooper, who traveled with her everywhere and brought her great comfort and happiness.

In addition to her husband, Jo is survived by her sons Thomas Z. Vargo of Des Moines, IA, and Erik (Joyce) Vargo of Olney, MD, her granddaughter Julia, and her sisters Elizabeth Leach of Carlisle and Margaret Campbell of Lewistown. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Franklin (Faye) Gaugler.

At Jo's request all services will be private and at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Penn State Health Children's Hospital.