Jo Lamun

April 20, 1939 – September 5, 2023

Jo Anne Lamun, beloved Mother, Wife, Director, and Playwright took her final curtain call on September, 5, 2023, at 4:44 in the morning, in Lafayette, Colorado. She was 84 years old and lived an incredibly full life, at peace with her own passing. Her daughters Laura and Lisa were right at her side, singing and celebrating her to the last moment.

JoAnne was born to Ann D. Blower and Lloyd K. Blower on April 20, 1939 in Casper, Wyoming where she would grow up and attend Casper High School. This is where she met her husband,

John R. Lamun. They would later get engaged in Europe, when he was stationed in Germany with the Army and she was studying a year abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. JoAnne would receive a Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University, and a Master’s Degree from University of Colorado.

After they were married, Jo Anne and John moved to Boulder, Colorado where Jo Anne became a Mother to Laura in 1964, and John received his Bachelor’s Degree from CU. They relocated to Flint, Michigan, where Jo Anne began her illustrious teaching career, and John pursued a successful career with General Motors. In 1967, she gave birth to Lisa. In 1970, after several moves in Michigan, the family settled into the beautiful, mile-square neighborhood of Lathrup Village, Michigan.

Lathrup Village was the original setting for Jo Anne’s greatest life work, her children’s theatre companies. Initially she took over the Lathrup Children’s Theatre from Joan St. John, and from that created the Lathrup Youtheatre, producing 2 Summer plays a year, endless after-school classes, and traveling entertainment troupes performing all over the greater Detroit area and suburbs. She wrote nearly a dozen musicals herself, and adapted hundreds of standard musicals to accommodate her casts of over 150 kids. Her additional material assured that every participant had a line of their own – even if they were only 3 years old! At this time, she also directed and choreographed adults with the St. Bede Players, where she met lifelong friends and collaborators. She also ran one of Michigan’s first community cable TV channels, chaired committees sponsoring balls and events with the Lathrup Village Women’ Club, and taught English, Speech and Drama at Kimball High School and St. Agatha’s High School.

One of her most prolific and long-lasting successes was her professional luncheon theatre group, The Peanut Butter Players. Originally in Michigan, PBP received great recognition from the press and won many awards. She gave countless children the opportunity to perform, grow and also learn what she considered to be one of the most important skills of a professional actor – waiting tables! Serving hot dogs & peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and signing autographs after every performance, her Peanut Butter Players got a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience professional theatre first hand. Her students include now Broadway Stars and Tony recipients including Sutton Foster, Celia Keenan-Bolger, David Burtka and many more.

Once her daughters had graduated and moved away, and after her Mother’s death, Jo Anne moved back home to Boulder, Colorado, where she purchased the big dome on Mapleton & Folsom (for those of you who remember) which was once designed to be in the epicenter of children in Boulder County. And it became that again, renamed The Toadstool Playhouse, as the enormous facility was turned into the offices and classrooms of the Peanut Butter Players. Here thousands of children learned self-esteem, public speaking, and the practical magic of performing for others. Many of these “kids” grew up to bring their children to work with Jo Anne. The PBP also performed at the Fox & Boulder Theaters, Nissi’s, The Avalon and many other locations, giving her talented group of kids the opportunity to perform just like the professionals.

When she moved to Lafayette in 2002, Jo Anne opened The Harlequin Theatre on S. Public Road as the new home for the Peanut Butter Players. There she continued to offer PBP Lunch Bunch performances, classes and summer camps, and several Holiday shows inviting parents to perform beside their children in “All Ages” casts.

A true contributor to the benefit of Youth in Colorado, Jo Anne was awarded the Daily Camera Pacesetter Award in 1999, and the Channel 7 Everyday Hero award, Boulder Weekly Best Of, and many others.

Jo Anne also loved to paint, write, and read, and play with her cat Teddy. Her daughter Lisa was pivotal in caring for her in her final year, and Laura came to visit many times so they could all continue to celebrate together. They made many recent memories of sharing wonderful food, talking and cherishing the last times together.

Before she passed, her Family made her comfortable at home for many impromptu PREMORIALS – loved ones, fans, students, and family came to be with her and offer their words of love and memory directly to her. It was a beautiful sight to witness. Two different gatherings of Zoom calls which included former Youtheatre and Peanut Butter Players, now from all over the World, were epic celebrations for her, with not a dry eye in the house. Rarely does one human being receive such incredible feedback and gratitude while living – and no one deserved it more. Thank you to all who participated and facilitated.

At this point, the Family has elected to forgo any Memorial Services, as they feel she was celebrated while alive and able to receive this beautiful energy herself. There will be a gofundme for settling final costs, aiding the surviving members of the Family and caring for and distributing the assets of the business. It was Jo Anne’s wish that the plethora of costumes, props, scripts and scores be donated to local theaters and school theatre programs who can continue to make good use of them, and to see her legacy live on in performance and education. Anyone interested in receiving items from her vast expanse of sets and costumes from over 40 years of theatrical performances are encouraged to contact the family directly at LLAMUN@GMAIL.COM

Flowers, cards, comments, tributes and love are welcomed by her family at their home.

Thank you, Jo Anne for teaching us all so much, caring for each and every one of your “kids” and leaving an indelible mark on the world.

“The Peanut Butter Players thank you

For coming to our show

We don’t like to say goodbye

But it’s time for us to go

So we’ll just leave this wish behind

To brighten up your way

May happiness always stick to you

And have a Very Peanut Butter Day!”

And….Scene.