Jo-Ann Whitney Grace
October 6, 1946 - October 29, 2026 Jo-Ann Whitney Grace, president of the Metropolitan News Company and co-publisher of the Metropolitan News- Enterprise, died on Oct. 29. She was 80.
She was principled, articulate, insightful, and fair-minded. A leader, she inspired harmony, drew both affection and respect, and got things done.
Born Oct. 6, 1946, she was found, at an early age, to have a genius IQ. Under an honors program, she contemporaneously completed her last year of high school and her first year at the University of Southern California, where she was a science/ math major.
It was at USC that Jo-Ann Louise Whitney and Roger M. Grace met on May 7, 1965. He took a picture of her about 10 minutes after they first spoke. It was a shot of her escorting former Gov. Goodwin J. Knight to the podium in Founders Hall at a meeting of the Trojan Young Republicans. The photo appeared on the cover of a college Republican newspaper that Roger Grace put out.
On June 19, 1966, they were wed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel—and Governor Knight was there. At the reception, he pounded out old tunes on the piano.
Last June 19 marked 60 years of marriage.
They went to law school together at the University of Texas in Austin. Jo-Ann Grace was a member of the Legal Research Board and the editorial board of the Texas International Law Journal.
There are many marriages that break up when one spouse is in law school in light of the huge amount of time that must be devoted to studies (with the spouse felt neglected). While that fate would not have befallen this marriage—an exceptionally close one—had only one of them been a law student, the fact that both were enrolled at the school, and for the most part in the same classes, worked out beautifully. They would drive from Austin and in 10 minutes would be out in the country, traveling scenic roads; he drove, she read the cases aloud, then they discussed them. That approach to preparing for classes—teamwork—was to mark their later relationship in co-piloting a business and in all other matters.
They studied one summer at the City of London College—which featured a program attended by lawyers and judges from 40 nations—and another summer at Stanford.
From 1971-80, Jo-Ann Grace was with the Internal Revenue Service, first as an estate and gift tax attorney, then as federal women’s program coordinator for the Los Angeles District.
She served as a member of Western Region’s Women’s Advisory Committee and headed the Women’s Committee of the Federal Executive Board.
In 1980, she became co-publisher of the Metropolitan News-Enterprise, with her husband.
Jo-Ann Grace headed business operations and Roger Grace tended to the journalistic end.
Jo-Ann Grace—whose mother’s maiden name was “Fuoco”—was proud to be of Italian heritage. In 1996, she was president of the Italian American Lawyers Association (“IALA”)—and it was a banner year for the organization. She remained active with that bar group through the years. Last March 7, she was one of the IALA’s three honorees as women of distinction, along with IALA past president and current National Italian American Bar Association President Alice Salvo and V. Ahda Sands, a past president of the John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles and past co-chair of the Multicultural Bar Alliance.
The IALA previously held a dinner in Jo-Ann Grace’s honor, alone, and inducted her, at a dinner in a different year, into its Hall of Fame.
Too, Jo-Ann Grace was secretary of “Fondazione Italia” (the Italian Foundation).
She has been active in various bar groups, having served as a vice president of the State Bar of California, a vice president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (“LACBA”), treasurer of the Foundation of the State Bar of California (and a founding “fellow”), board member of the Los Angeles County Bar Foundation, and chair of LACBA’s Senior Lawyers Section.
Also, Jo-Ann Grace was chair of the Lawyers Conference of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Administration Division, a member of the State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (which rates prospective appointees to the bench), a member of the Advisory Board of the Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center (a non-profit providing low-cost services), and chair of the Breakfast Club (which endorsed candidates for the State Bar Board of Governors) and a member of the Executive Committee of Council for Justice (which promotes access to justice for members of underserved communities seeking to assert legal rights.) And she was a founding member of the Cowboy Lawyers, belt #19.
While chair of LACBA’s delegation to the statewide Conference of California Bar Associations (“CCBA”), she authored proposed legislation to reform judicial elections so it would no longer be possible for candidates to employ emotion-charged and often deceptive ballot designations. The CCBA unanimously approved her model bill which became the basis for legislation introduced by Sen. Ben Allen, D–Santa Monica. The bill, SB 235, was enacted and signed into law.
The publication of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Assn. in 2004 observed: “Jo-Ann speaks softly, not bombastically—and listens. She’ll never be described as flamboyant or abrasive. Her style of leadership is to carry the ideas of others to the table, fully credited, and, when the occasion arises, to be firm, without being strident.
“She seeks to persuade based on reasoning, not volume. Diplomacy is her trademark.”
In non-bar activities, she was chair of the Campaign Watch Commission of the League of Women Voters in Los Angeles and was chair of Los Angeles County’s United Republican Finance Committee.
She and her husband have been honored by Southwestern University School of Law as “Outstanding Friends” and have received numerous commendations, including from the State Bar, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the Los Angeles City Council.
Jo-Ann Grace contracted Alzheimer’s Disease. When the onset was is indeterminable.
As the symptoms became noticeable, she continued to attend bar events. Members of the blessed legal community with whom she had contact displayed kindness and acceptance.
When she was honored by the IALA in March, it was arranged that none of the honorees would make an acceptance speech because it was appreciated that Jo-Ann would not be able to do so. Her family expresses its unbounded gratitude to the many lawyers and judges who showed their compassion.
She died at home, with her fervently loving husband and devoted daughter at her bedside.
That daughter is attorney Lisa Grace-Kellogg, who also owns newspapers. Her mother was so very proud of her, as is her father.
A celebration of life will be held. It has not yet been scheduled.
She was principled, articulate, insightful, and fair-minded. A leader, she inspired harmony, drew both affection and respect, and got things done.
Born Oct. 6, 1946, she was found, at an early age, to have a genius IQ. Under an honors program, she contemporaneously completed her last year of high school and her first year at the University of Southern California, where she was a science/ math major.
It was at USC that Jo-Ann Louise Whitney and Roger M. Grace met on May 7, 1965. He took a picture of her about 10 minutes after they first spoke. It was a shot of her escorting former Gov. Goodwin J. Knight to the podium in Founders Hall at a meeting of the Trojan Young Republicans. The photo appeared on the cover of a college Republican newspaper that Roger Grace put out.
On June 19, 1966, they were wed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel—and Governor Knight was there. At the reception, he pounded out old tunes on the piano.
Last June 19 marked 60 years of marriage.
They went to law school together at the University of Texas in Austin. Jo-Ann Grace was a member of the Legal Research Board and the editorial board of the Texas International Law Journal.
There are many marriages that break up when one spouse is in law school in light of the huge amount of time that must be devoted to studies (with the spouse felt neglected). While that fate would not have befallen this marriage—an exceptionally close one—had only one of them been a law student, the fact that both were enrolled at the school, and for the most part in the same classes, worked out beautifully. They would drive from Austin and in 10 minutes would be out in the country, traveling scenic roads; he drove, she read the cases aloud, then they discussed them. That approach to preparing for classes—teamwork—was to mark their later relationship in co-piloting a business and in all other matters.
They studied one summer at the City of London College—which featured a program attended by lawyers and judges from 40 nations—and another summer at Stanford.
From 1971-80, Jo-Ann Grace was with the Internal Revenue Service, first as an estate and gift tax attorney, then as federal women’s program coordinator for the Los Angeles District.
She served as a member of Western Region’s Women’s Advisory Committee and headed the Women’s Committee of the Federal Executive Board.
In 1980, she became co-publisher of the Metropolitan News-Enterprise, with her husband.
Jo-Ann Grace headed business operations and Roger Grace tended to the journalistic end.
Jo-Ann Grace—whose mother’s maiden name was “Fuoco”—was proud to be of Italian heritage. In 1996, she was president of the Italian American Lawyers Association (“IALA”)—and it was a banner year for the organization. She remained active with that bar group through the years. Last March 7, she was one of the IALA’s three honorees as women of distinction, along with IALA past president and current National Italian American Bar Association President Alice Salvo and V. Ahda Sands, a past president of the John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles and past co-chair of the Multicultural Bar Alliance.
The IALA previously held a dinner in Jo-Ann Grace’s honor, alone, and inducted her, at a dinner in a different year, into its Hall of Fame.
Too, Jo-Ann Grace was secretary of “Fondazione Italia” (the Italian Foundation).
She has been active in various bar groups, having served as a vice president of the State Bar of California, a vice president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (“LACBA”), treasurer of the Foundation of the State Bar of California (and a founding “fellow”), board member of the Los Angeles County Bar Foundation, and chair of LACBA’s Senior Lawyers Section.
Also, Jo-Ann Grace was chair of the Lawyers Conference of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Administration Division, a member of the State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (which rates prospective appointees to the bench), a member of the Advisory Board of the Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center (a non-profit providing low-cost services), and chair of the Breakfast Club (which endorsed candidates for the State Bar Board of Governors) and a member of the Executive Committee of Council for Justice (which promotes access to justice for members of underserved communities seeking to assert legal rights.) And she was a founding member of the Cowboy Lawyers, belt #19.
While chair of LACBA’s delegation to the statewide Conference of California Bar Associations (“CCBA”), she authored proposed legislation to reform judicial elections so it would no longer be possible for candidates to employ emotion-charged and often deceptive ballot designations. The CCBA unanimously approved her model bill which became the basis for legislation introduced by Sen. Ben Allen, D–Santa Monica. The bill, SB 235, was enacted and signed into law.
The publication of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Assn. in 2004 observed: “Jo-Ann speaks softly, not bombastically—and listens. She’ll never be described as flamboyant or abrasive. Her style of leadership is to carry the ideas of others to the table, fully credited, and, when the occasion arises, to be firm, without being strident.
“She seeks to persuade based on reasoning, not volume. Diplomacy is her trademark.”
In non-bar activities, she was chair of the Campaign Watch Commission of the League of Women Voters in Los Angeles and was chair of Los Angeles County’s United Republican Finance Committee.
She and her husband have been honored by Southwestern University School of Law as “Outstanding Friends” and have received numerous commendations, including from the State Bar, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the Los Angeles City Council.
Jo-Ann Grace contracted Alzheimer’s Disease. When the onset was is indeterminable.
As the symptoms became noticeable, she continued to attend bar events. Members of the blessed legal community with whom she had contact displayed kindness and acceptance.
When she was honored by the IALA in March, it was arranged that none of the honorees would make an acceptance speech because it was appreciated that Jo-Ann would not be able to do so. Her family expresses its unbounded gratitude to the many lawyers and judges who showed their compassion.
She died at home, with her fervently loving husband and devoted daughter at her bedside.
That daughter is attorney Lisa Grace-Kellogg, who also owns newspapers. Her mother was so very proud of her, as is her father.
A celebration of life will be held. It has not yet been scheduled.
