Mary Jo Emmanuel Hanover, of Baton Rouge, LA passed away peacefully on July 1, 2012 in Pensacola, FL after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer. The third child of Patrick and Olivia Emmanuel, Mary Jo was born on Nov. 22, 1952 in Pensacola. She attended Sacred Heart Cathedral School and graduated from Pensacola Catholic High School in 1971. She loved going to basketball games and rooting for her Crusaders, especially the year they won the state championship. Mary Jo graduated with honors from St. Mary's College at Notre Dame in South Bend, IN in 1975, with a degree in English. While in college Mary Jo pursued two of her passions; literature and music. She loved singing every Sunday in the Sacred Heart Basilica Chapel Choir at Notre Dame. Mary Jo would occasionally give away her Notre Dame football game tickets so people without tickets could go. At Notre Dame she met her future husband, Dennis, in the library. They married in Pensacola at Sacred Heart Cathedral on August 26, 1975. In 1978, they took their dream trip and backpacked around Europe for 4 months. Mary Jo had a special affinity for Greece. Upon their return after a short stint in Boston they moved to Monroe, LA where their first child, Erin, was born in 1981. In 1982, they moved to Baton Rouge, LA. Their two sons, Cameron and Peter, were born there in 1985 and 1988 respectively. They chose to live in the Southdowns neighborhood because of St. Aloysius Church and School. Over the years, Mary Jo sang in various choirs before becoming a ringer in the Bell Choir. After serving in various ministries, she was elected to the St. Aloysius Council of Ministries for a 3-year term. It was during this time that Mary Jo began her career at Louisiana's Department of Economic Development where she would work for more than 26 years, serving 6 governors. She was one of the first women to become an economic development specialist, helping blaze the trail for women who came after her. Later in her career, she became a certified economic developer, a difficult international designation to achieve. Her tenacious efforts to bring good paying jobs to Louisiana became her mission as a senior project manager and business recruiter. She was well aware of the social justice aspects of her work when poor communities landed new businesses. She loved Louisiana's incredible cuisine and the joie de vivre of her people. Mary Jo is survived by her husband, Dennis of Baton Rouge; a daughter, Dr. Erin Hanover Lloyd and her husband, Jonathan of Birmingham, AL; two sons, Cameron of Athens, GA and Peter of Los Angeles, CA; her father and mother, Patrick and Olivia Emmanuel of Pensacola; two sisters, Deborah Emmanuel of Pensacola and Barbara Emmanuel and her husband, Berndt Griner of Atlanta, GA; four brothers, Patrick "Rick" Emmanuel Jr. and his wife, Christine of Pensacola, Robert Emmanuel and his wife, Karen of Pensacola, Stephen Emmanuel and his wife, Susan of Tallahassee and John Emmanuel and his wife, Patricia of Tampa and nine nieces and nephews. A rosary for Mary Jo will be said at Sacred Heart Cathedral on 12th Ave. in Pensacola on Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at Noon. A celebration of Mary Jo's life will be held immediately after Mass in the Parish Hall. The family would like to thank Dr. Thomas Sunnenberg and his excellent staff at the Sacred Heart Oncology Center, as well as the compassionate nurses and social workers of Covenant Hospice. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial donations in Mary Jo's name be made to Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Pensacola or St. Aloysius School in Baton Rouge. HARPER-MORRIS MEMORIAL CHAPEL is in charge of arrangements.