Josephine Gurley

Frances Josephine "Jo" Roach Gurley, age 92, of Birmingham, AL passed away on February 12, 2016. She was a member of Parkway Christian Church in Birmingham. She is preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence T. Gurley; parents, George Luther Roach, Sr. and May Lucille Canterbury Roach; brother, George L. Roach, Jr.; sister, Barbara Ann Robertson (James); grandparents, J.J. Canterbury, Eva Bishop Canterbury, John Baptist "Poppy" Roach, and Frances Josephine Starkey. Jo is survived by her sons, Lawrence T. Gurley of Greenville, SC, and David Michael Gurley of Birmingham, AL; grandchildren, Jo Ellen Gurley Knight Jannot and Virginia Gurley; great grandchildren, Victoria McMinn, Blake and Jacob Knight, and Tucker Graves; sister, Sue Blass (Dr. Joseph H. Blass) of Jackson, TN; cousin/sister, Libby Gonzalez of Huntsville, AL. Services will be held on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 12:00pm at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service time. Entombment will follow at Jefferson Memorial Gardens East. Christopher Jannot will be officiating. Jefferson Memorial Trussville directing.In Lieu of flowers donations may be made to, U.A.B Department of Neurology- Division of Cerebrovascular Disease.U.A.B Department of Neurology- Division of Cerebrovascular Disease.

1813 6th Avenue South, RWUH M226

Birmingham, AL 35294

205.975.8569

Today we celebrate the life of FRANCES JOSEPHINE GURLEY. The many people who have loved her have called her Jo.

Jo was the first child of the Reverend and Mrs. George Roach of Fackler, Alabama. Born July 9, 1923, she attended schools in Scottsboro and began her working life as a secretary to a legal firm in that city. Other cities where she was employed with Civil Service were Huntsville, Birmingham, Detroit and Alexandria, Virginia. While in Birmingham she met her future husband; Lawrence Gurley on a blind date arranged by friends. They were married two years later on February 1st of 1948.

Jo has two sons: -Lawrence T. Gurley of Greenville, S. C. and David Michael Gurley of Birmingham. She has always been an adoring mother and wanted them both to have a fine and useful life. She has been so proud of them and of her two granddaughters, JoEllen Gurley Janot of this city and Virginia Gurley of Greenville, S.C.

At age ten Jo dedicated her life to Christ and was baptized by Friendship Baptist Church in a nearby river. Throughout her life she has been active in her church, singing with her beautiful alto voice, teaching young women in Sunday School and making certain that her boys were taught to know God. She was attentive to her brother and two sisters and was good at communicating with her parents as they needed her in their latter years.

Some of her greatest pleasures in life have been getting together with friends and neighbors for lunches, enjoying music, arranging flowers, shopping, swimming and reading books every day. Her husband, a lawyer, was an FBI agent and Instructor at Quantico, Virginia. In the early years, they were transferred often and had many friends and acquaintances they enjoyed. There were longer periods when he had classified work away from home and she had the full responsibility for guiding the family and caring for the cars and property.

After retirement the family came home to Birmingham and enjoyed being in the warm South once more near family.

Today we give praise to God that after long illness, Jo's body now rests. Our confidence is strong that her vibrant personality and her sweet spirit we love so much is rejoicing today with her heavenly Father and her loved ones.

We offer our thanks also to God for her life, dedicated to Him from childhood and enriching us all.