Jo Anne Marie Zipperer

Jo Anne Marie Zipperer (Satava), age 93, devoted mother of Kathy Zipperer (Darrell Kerbel), Lorri Zipperer (Ross Vagnieres), Chris Zipperer, the late Peter Zipperer; proud grandmother to Elliott (Monica) Kerbel, and Sydney Kerbel; loving wife of the late James (Jim) John Zipperer; dear friend to Jim Zak and Brian DeHart.

Jo Anne was born on the West side of Chicago. As a young teenager she performed as a ballet dancer and toured the western United States. Her high school years were spent at Steinmetz High School. After graduation she worked at National Bank and Trust. She sang in church choirs and met the Zipperer family, becoming friends with the sons and ultimately marrying Jim to raise a family in the Chicago area.

Jo Anne loved being a mother. She grew up as a close friend to her own mother and sought similar loving relationships with her daughters. Her passions included the arts, books, and animal welfare. A special source of joy was the College of DuPage. She sang with the DuPage Chorale, volunteered as a docent for MAC performance events, and contributed to the COD foundation. Her connection to COD began with earning an associate degree in Library Technical Studies, which led to an 18-year career at Addison Trail High School.

She cherished traveling with friends and family, creating lasting memories, and sharing those experiences with others. Dogs brought her great happiness in life, most recently her beloved Pepper who was her dedicated companion for the last 8 years. Jo Anne also honored her husband’s service in the Eighth Army Air Corps through various philanthropic contributions.

A private family service to inter Jo Anne with Jim at Arlington National Cemetery will be held in the Spring of 2026. A gathering in her honor will be held on October 19th 2025, from 3:00-5:00 pm in the lobby of the McAninch Arts Center, at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd. Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.

DuPage Choral is a large community chorus that is supported by the McAninch Arts Center and College of DuPage. In lieu of flowers, direct donations to the MAC in memory of Jo Anne Zipperer to commemorate her time singing in the chorale. See https://foundation.cod.edu/supportthemac for information. Contributions to be paid by check can be mailed with a memo, "MAC - Zipperer Memorial" to College of DuPage Foundation, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.

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