Mary Jo Ickes

Mary Jo Ickes, age 78, passed away on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Texas, where she had lived for over 40 years. She was born on October 6, 1946 in Port Arthur, Texas to Joseph John Ainsworth and Mary Mildred Ainsworth. She was later adopted around the age of 12 by Jules Alexander Renard and Hazel Fenton Renard of Lubbock, Texas.

In Lubbock, Mary Jo attended Lubbock High School and Texas Tech University, where she met and married her husband, William John Ickes (Bill). The couple had three sons: Marcus James, John Keith, and William Edward (Billy).

For several years, Mary Jo worked as a tax specialist, beginning with the IRS in Austin, Texas and then continuing with positions at the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, St. Louis Union Trust, and the Texas Employment Commission. She enjoyed sabbatical trips with her husband Bill, which took them to Seattle, Washington; Christchurch, New Zealand; and Ghent, Belgium.

Mary Jo was a beautiful woman with a radiant smile. People remember her as a person who brightened the lives of everyone she met. She is preceded in death by her birth parents, her adoptive parents, and her youngest son, Billy.