Jo Klein passed away on the evening of July 19, 2024 at the age of 75 following a long battle with Parkinson’s. She was born on June 28, 1949 in McCook, Nebraska to Merle and Doloris Clifton. She has one sister, Patricia Clifton, and three brothers, Roy Clifton, Ray Clifton, and Garry Clifton. She thoroughly enjoyed the visits and adventures with her three nephews Clint Clifton, Josh Clifton, Jonathan Clifton, and two nieces Brecken Lutz and Emma Reis.
In 1982, she married her wonderful husband, Bert, the love of her life. She enjoyed their worldwide photography trips. Jo always said Bert was a real “Keeper” and “marrying him was the best decision she ever made.” He was her rock and as he said, he was the teacher and she was the student.
Jo graduated in 1973 with a Master of Science from the University of Nebraska. She retired from a successful career with healthcare companies including Vizient (formerly Novation) and Abbott Laboratories. At Abbott, she was responsible for a worldwide microbiology business and often traveled to Japan, Italy, and Russia. While at Novation, she was instrumental in advancing their approach to continued growth with recruitment of several major healthcare systems. She also built a valuable relationship with Arizona State University where she conducted an industry-wide study “The Value of Group Purchasing in the Health Care Supply Chain”. She was Chairman for several years of the Health Sector Supply Chain Research Consortium and the Mark McKenna Healthcare Management Lecture Series.
Jo was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013, which was a life changing event. She aspired to be a role model where improving the lives of those with Parkinson’s became a cornerstone of her approach to life. Her PD friends often referred to her as the Alpha Chick because she served with purpose, was methodical, disciplined and results-driven. She was Vice President of the Dallas Area Parkinson’s Society Board of Directors where she was instrumental in developing the Community Day and Kenneth H. Cooper, MD Lifetime Achievement Award. She was extremely proud of working with pharmacists and hosting the first ever Medication Management Educational Session for Parkinson patients.
There will be private family graveside service at the Temple Emanu-El cemetery.
At a later date, there will be a celebration of life event for her.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Parkinson Society, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, or the Dallas Area Parkinson Society.
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