their deeply loved daughter, mother, grandmother and sister, after a four and half year tough
battle with cancer. She passed away in The North Shore Hospice Centre in North Vancouver,
BC, shortly after midnight on September 15th, 2021, surrounded by her two daughters. She
spent five weeks in hospice care where she was surrounded by many friends and family, right
up until the hours before the angels took her home.
Jo, Jopey or Jo-Jo, as her friends called her, was born on June 24th,1952 to Ted and Mina Steel
(née Stanley, now Sumner), where she grew up with her younger sister Doni Steel, in Lynn
Valley, with the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge as her back yard. She graduated from Carson
Graham Secondary School and was married a short time thereafter to Pat Kinchella, where they
lived in Coquitlam and had two daughters, Danielle Pistilli (née Kinchella) and Fiona Watkins
(née Kinchella). Jo returned back to North Vancouver in 1986 to raise her daughters,
independently, and be close to her parents.
From the early 80’s, Mom had an artistic eye for makeup and a passion for fashion. She worked
in cosmetics and modeled for many years before putting herself through film and make-up
school. She was inspired to take her art to a more professional level after she was an extra on
the movie Happy Gilmore, where she played the role of a make-up artist and thought to herself,
“I can do this”. She attended Vancouver Film School and John Casablanca Institute, all while
raising two teenage girls and working full time. Soon after school, she was given a break, by a
friend and director, to be a key makeup artist and thus began her journey into film. Next to the
many beautiful friendships she made, one of Jo’s proudest accomplishments was winning a Leo
Award for the work that she did, in China, for a film called Iron Road.
Jo is survived by her 95 year old mother, Mina; two daughters and son-in-laws, Danielle (Chris)
and Fiona (David); four deeply loved grandchildren, Madi, Keaton, Lili and Charlie; her sister
Doni; her beloved dog, Lola; and many close friends and extended family.
Words will never be able to express the unconditional love Jo had for her family and friends and
how proud she was of us all. The feeling was beyond mutual, Mom. Thank you for loving us so
deeply. We were all so blessed to have you in our life and you will be missed beyond words. We
love you to the moon and back, too.
A celebration of life gathering will be held at the home of Danielle and Chris Pistilli on October
2nd, 2021 at 1:00 pm, with eulogy starting at 2:00 pm. If you do not have the address, or if you
have questions, please facebook message, or email Fiona Watkins at [email protected]
for more details. To attend the celebration by zoom, please email Fiona for the link also.
All are welcome to attend, at your personal comfort level
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