Mary Jo Esperon

Mary Josephine (Roney) Esperon, 93, of Asheville, NC passed away on April
2, 2019.

Mary Jo was born on December 9, 1925 to Harry and May Roney, and was
raised, along with her two brothers and sister, in Philadelphia.

In 1943 Mary Jo was one of sixty young women, selected among the very
top high school students in Philadelphia, to enroll in Temple University and
train as Philco Radio and Television Corporation lab technicians. She and
her classmates were known as the Philco Radarettes.

Mary Jo left her career at Philco in 1956 to join the Central Intelligence
Agency. She was stationed in Lisbon, Portugal where she met Richard
Esperon, a Manager in the International Division for Eastman Kodak. Mary
Jo and Richard were married in Lisbon in 1959.

Mary Jo and Richard moved throughout his career, living in Madrid,
Rochester, NY and Mexico City. Upon Richard’s retirement in 1984 the
couple moved to Asheville, NC.

An avid bridge player, Mary Jo was a member of a bridge club wherever she
lived. In Asheville Mary Jo spent many happy hours volunteering at
Memorial Mission’s SurgiCare Unit, traveling to visit family, enjoying the
company of good friends, and always the highlight spending time with her
grandchildren.

She will be remembered as a steadfast friend and devoted wife, mother and
grandmother. She is predeceased by her husband of 59 years, Richard
Esperon. She is survived by daughters, Pilar Esperon (Edgar Greene),
Patricia Esperon (Bram Sorgman), and grandchildren, Cade, Eleanor, Ava
and Benno, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff at Deerfield Episcopal Retirement
Community, as well as her personal caretakers for their extraordinary
kindness and care.

Donations can be made in her name to the Danny Boone Employee
Scholarship Fund which aids deserving Deerfield employees who are pursuing
higher education. Information can be found at www.deerfieldwnc.org.