Laura Josephine Talbird

Laura Josephine Widner Talbird, known to most as “Jo,” passed away on November 5, 2018, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Jo was 78 and living in Alabaster, AL near her youngest son, Chris, his wife, Cindy, and her beloved granddaughter, Ainsley.

The oldest child of Lloyd and Louise Widner, Jo was born in Knoxville, TN on February 23, 1940. She has a younger sister, Margaret “Marge” Seymour, who lives in Knoxville, TN, and had a younger brother, Lloyd, who pre-deceased her.

Jo studied elementary education at Maryville College and, after graduation, she moved to Alexandria, Virginia where she began her brief teaching career. She soon met her future husband, John D. Talbird, Jr., who was a student at the Virginia Theological Seminary. After they married, they relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where, in 1966, they had their first of three children, John D. Talbird, III. They briefly lived in Tallahassee, Florida where they had their daughter, Laura, and soon after, they settled in Gainesville, Florida, where Chris was born.

Jo was a stay-at-home mother until her divorce, after which she found work at the University of Florida Library. Jo discovered that she loved mentoring college students and helping them reach their goals. As a single mother, she went to night school to obtain her Master’s Degree in Library Science from Florida State University.

When Jo was not working and taking care of her three children, she was volunteering to help others in her community. Jo was an active Board Member with Alachua Habitat for Humanity. Her advocacy on behalf of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Gainesville (a precursor to Family Promise of Gainesville, which helps homeless families secure permanent housing) was critical in getting her church, Trinity United Methodist Church, to participate in the program. After retiring from the library in 2005, Jo moved from Gainesville to Alabama to live closer to her grandchild, Ainsley.

Jo is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Marge and Gerald Seymour of Knoxville, and Jo’s niece and nephews, Rena Selke, Todd Lay and Lloyd Lay. A memorial service is set for 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home at 2300 West Adair Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918. Visitation will be from 12:00-2:00 p.m. that day. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at michaeljfox.org. Condolences may be offered at www.berrylynnhurst.com