JoAnn Osborne

On the evening of January 18, 2019, JoAnn “Jody” Jacobsen Burns Osborne, 72, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

JoAnn was born on November 1, 1946 in Gunnison, Utah to Anna Beth Lyons and Chad Oris Ray Jacobsen. She grew up with eleven siblings and learned the value of hard work very quickly. She married her soulmate James “Jim” Rodney Burns on her sixteenth birthday, November 1, 1962. Together they raised three beautiful children: Jamie Jo, Eric Dolyne and Travis Duane. They enjoyed going camping, hunting, fishing, gardening and traveling to Southern California and Mexico. JoAnn was the first woman to work at Geneva Steele, alongside her husband, Jim. They worked hard to raise money to build a home for their family that had the best view of Mt. Timpanogos in Utah Valley. She later worked as a diesel mechanic (among many other jobs) at UTA where she received many awards for her work ethic. Jim passed in 1991 from lung disease. 

JoAnn remarried Daniel “Danny” Dwayne Osborne in 1993 after finding his ad in the newspaper searching for a companion. Danny & JoAnn had many happy years together spoiling their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They especially loved hosting camping trips at their cabin in Ephraim Canyon and going on trips to Wendover with their siblings. Danny passed in 2015 from complications of Parkinson’s and lung cancer.

JoAnn had a heart of gold and had so much love to give. She tragically lost her son Eric in 2006, her son Travis in 2007 and her daughter Jamie Jo in 2011. Despite all of her heartache in life, she surrounded all of her posterity with great love and support. Whether it was food from her fridge, or a bag of toys from her recent trip to DI, JoAnn always knew how to make her grandchildren and great-grandchildren feel special and loved. In 2011 she gave her five grandchildren (Jamie’s kids) this advice after losing both of their parents: “life is going to go on with or without you...so you better go with it!” JoAnn spent the last few years of her life creating lifelong memories with her family by doing the things she loved most: shopping at thrift stores and Costco, getting limeades at Sonic, reading the newspaper, cuddling with her great-grand babies, having Sunday afternoon chats with her sister Nancy, dining on Mexican food and visiting with family. 

JoAnn is survived by: her eight grandchildren, Heidi (Michael) Catlett, Heather (Gabriel) Dye, Hailey (Nolan) Chandler, David Zachary Rittenhouse, HannaJo Rittenhouse, Shantel (Evan) Weaver,  Eric Delynn Burns and Braden Kocherhans; her thirteen great-grandchildren: Autumn, Bradlee, Aaden, Noah, Mason, Rylee, Madelyn, Linken, Ezra, Eli, Isabelle, Charlotte and Cadence; her sister, Nancy and brothers, Jerry, Allen and Tommy.

JoAnn was preceded in death by: her first husband, James Rodney Burns and her second husband, Daniel Dwayne Osborne; her children, Jamie Jo Burns Rittenhouse, Eric Dolyne Burns, and Travis Dwayne Burns; her sisters: Beverley, Maxine, Lilah, Gloria and brothers: Leonard, Vernon and Dickey. 

The family would like to thank Maple Creek Hospice for the amazing care that was given to our loving grandmother. To respect JoAnn's wishes a funeral service will not be held. Instead to celebrate her life, immediate family will gather in the spring to commemorate her life. Please send condolences to her address in Provo, Utah.