Jo Warfield Gordon, former reporter for WTAX and WICS, died on Monday, September 15, 2025, at the age of 75. She passed away peacefully at home with her loved ones at her side.
Jo was born on July 12th, 1950, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was the first child of Joseph and Ethel Warfield. During her youth, Jo was an active member of the Girl Scouts of America and various church youth groups. While in high school, she worked at the school paper, where she found her passion for journalism, and was an avid theatre kid. After graduating high school, she attended Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. She was a student activist, leading demonstrations against the Vietnam War and racial prejudice. She was a member of the Alpha Ommicron Pi Sorority, the theatre club, and the student newspaper.
After graduating in 1972 with a bachelor’s in English literature, she did a brief stint as a high school English teacher before deciding to pursue her passion of becoming a reporter. She moved to Springfield, IL to enroll in the prestigious Public Affairs Reporting program at then Sangamon State University. After earning her master’s degree, she began work as a reporter for WTAX, covering the courts and the General Assembly, then switching over to TV by joining WICS. During her time as a reporter, she covered major events such as the battle over the Equal Rights Amendment, and the murder trial of David Hendricks.
During her time as a reporter, she met the love of her life, Patrick Gordon, also a reporter at WTAX and then WICS. They were married in July of 1977 and would have two sons, Daniel (born 1979) and John (born 1987). Jo and Patrick were married for 25 years until his death in 2002.
Jo would go on to become the head of media relations for various state agencies under Governor’s Thompson, Edgar, and Ryan. She would end her career in public service as a trainer, teaching workers on topics such as speech writing and visual presentations. Jo retired in 2011 and would work through her golden years as a freelance videographer. Her greatest joy came in November 2013 with the birth of her granddaughter, Emma.
Jo loved the Springfield community and dedicated her life towards serving its citizens, both as a journalist and as a civil servant. The Gordon family is grateful for all the love and support the community showed her during her life here.
Jo is survived by her sons Daniel and John, her daughter-in-law Shellie, her granddaughter Emma, her siblings Stephen and Pam, and her over two-dozen nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Patrick, her parents Joseph & Ethel, her brother David, and her nephews Charles and Mark.
Visitation: 3:00 – 5:00 pm, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Staab Funeral Home - Springfield.
Funeral Mass: 11:00 am, Monday, September 22, 2025 at St. Agnes Catholic Church with Very Rev. Daniel J. Bergbower officiating. A burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Jo’s family asks that you make a donation in her honor to Catholic Relief Services or the Girl Scouts of America.
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