Jo Carol

Riordan

Jo Carol Riordan of Wichita Falls, danced barefoot into heaven on Friday, January 31, 2025. She was 78 years old and was surrounded by her husband, Mike Riordan, and loving family as she passed peacefully.

Jo Carol Dowd was born September, 1946 in Seymour, Texas and is the daughter of Bobby and Ferman Dowd, both deceased, of Vera, Texas. She is survived by her husband Mike Riordan and sister Nelda Dowd Coulston and husband Jim Coulston of Nocona, Texas.  Jo Carol and Nelda were thick as thieves their entire lives sharing a very special sisterhood bond. Growing up in a small country town with only a few classmates, JC and Nelda were not only sisters but also playmates who climbed trees, rode bicycles, played with paper dolls and spent time walking the red dirt roads of windy west Texas.

This varsity cheerleader and volleyball player graduated as Valedictorian from Benjaman High School and then went on to Midwestern State University, earning a degree in English.   JC was a middle school English teacher in the Wichita Falls school district for more than 30 years. She made a great impact on the kids she taught and teachers with whom she worked, and many have stayed close to her over the years. She won teacher of the year 3 times. It wasn't out of the norm for JC to run into a student while out and about and was often told she was their favorite teacher.  Jo Carol won the prestigious West Foundation Award four times for her many education accomplishments.   Jo Carol retired in 1998 as a Zundy Middle School English teacher.

Jo Carol married Mike Riordan on February 13, 1992.  The loves of their lives came later in life for Mike and Jo Carol, and they spent the last 30 years making beautiful memories.  They traveled to places like Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba, even traveling through the Panama Canal. Jo Carol loved the mountains and traveled often to Colorado, New Mexico and even Yellowstone.  JC and Mike enjoyed life- going to concerts, dancing the night away to George Strait, cooking chili and bbq, flying through the mountains of Kauai in a helicopter and even landing in one on a glacier in Alaska. They had a very close group of friends with whom they spent a lot of time laughing, eating, traveling and just having fun.

With her marriage to Mike, JC gained two beautiful step-daughters, Kristi Riordan McCasland and Karla Riordan, both of Wichita Falls.  Kristi and Karla blessed the family with four grandchildren, Tyler Frierich, Emily Frierich, Caleb Dove and Jacob Dove and five great-grand children, Addison, Hunter, Cooper, Carter and Charli.  JC loved and supported them all in everything they did.  She went to games, plays, musicals, birthdays, and more, spending all the time she could enjoying her family.

Along with her sister, Jo Carol kept her extended family together by hosting reunions at Lucy Park for all of the Caldwell cousins. She put a lot of her heart into her family and preserving every memory. Jo Carol was also instrumental in putting together many Vera reunions over the decades. She worked to make sure everyone was taken care of and genuinely enjoyed visiting with every single person who attended. Jo Carol was proud of her roots and gave back to her hometown in so many ways, even making sure she went back home to honor her parents with a beautiful arrangement on their headstone at every holiday.

In addition to her lifelong teaching career, Jo Carol gave back to her community.  This Meals on Wheels Volunteer of the Year award winner delivered meals for many years. She enjoyed the people on her routes and they all enjoyed her!  She often took birthday cards or did special things to make their days just a little brighter.   JC also volunteered at United Regional Hospital where she met you with a smile and likely made you laugh whether she was bringing you a meal, serving coffee, providing help to patient families or ringing you up in the gift shop.  She loved her volunteer work at the hospital and won volunteer awards there as well. Jo Carol was still actively volunteering at the hospital until shortly before her passing.

This girl was a big Rangers and Cowboys fan! She coordinated her game day outfits from head to toe and was always the best dressed in the bunch. JC and Mike went to lots of Texas Rangers games, watched them all on television and way back when, even listened to them on the radio.  JC was even caught singing the national anthem proudly at a game on national tv!  She cheered for her Cowboys, even in the worst of times. She wore her blue and white with pride and watched every game she could.

Jo Carol attended Lamar Baptist Church in Wichita Falls where she often taught Sunday school.  She loved her church family, and her faith was unwavering.  Her favorite part of every service was the singing.  Jo Carol had a beautiful voice and sang her heart out, sharing her gift with everyone!

JC lost her life-long friend just months before she passed.  Jo Carol and Carol Hutson were inseparable from the time they became college roommates, having the time of their lives together. They even lived on the same street all these years since, seeing or talking to each other daily.  As Carol's health declined, JC was there to make sure Carol had everything she needed, as they had done for each other for so long. Today these girls are up in heaven, no doubt, causing a commotion!

JC was the life of every party.  She danced, sang, acted silly and didn't care who was watching or what they thought.  She was glass half-full, no matter the situation and lived her life to the absolute fullest.   Our sweet Jo Carol will be missed dearly.  She brought so much light and positivity to everything she touched and everyone she met.

In addition to immediate family, remaining to cherish JC's memory are stepson, Michael Bryan of Wichita Falls, niece Michelle Henry and family of Lantana, Texas and Jonathan Coulston and family of McKinney, Texas.

Per Jo Carol's wishes, there will be no visitation or service.  Jo Carol's ashes will be forever at home in the Vera Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Hospice of Wichita Falls at 4909 Johnson Road.  www.howf.org

Thank you for the outpouring of love and support as family and friends mourn the loss of our amazing girl!

Online condolences may be shared at Falls Funeral Home & Cremation (website)