Joanne (Teasley) Rife

Joanne (Teasley) RifeApril 24, 1932—October 16, 2026

Joanne T. Rife, a resident of Morgan Hill for nearly 50 years, died October 16, 2026, at her home in Morgan Hill.

She was born April 24, 1932, in Glendale, earned her bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and married Edward W. Rife in 1954. She and Ed raised their family in the Santa Ynez Valley before moving to Morgan Hill in 1979. Joanne worked in university relations at San Jose State University before retiring in 1993. She was an active member of the Morgan Hill branch of the American Association of University Women.

She was an avid hiker, skier and cyclist whose sense of curiosity and adventure took her on travels around the world, including a bicycle journey across the United States with Ed after they retired. She was a voracious reader and writer who published two books: “Where the Light Turns Gold: The Story of the Santa Ynez Valley” and “Bicycling Country Roads.”

She is survived by her daughter, Susan (Steve Kreidler) of Morgan Hill; son, Christopher (Dorinda) of Tucson, Arizona.; son, Daniel (Robin) of Bend, Oregon; grandchildren, Sarah Cox of Dallas, Texas, Christina Cox (Jack McLean) of Coburg, Australia, Alexis Rife (Ivan Martinez Tovar) of Portland, Oregon, Erica Rife (Asad Butt) of Portland, Oregon, Aaron Rife of Bend, Oregon and Ethan Rife, of Austin, Texas; great-grandchildren Isha Jo Rife Butt and Maaz Rife Butt of Portland, Oregon; and her brother, Jerry Teasley (Jan) of Laughlin, Nevada. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2009.

Donations in Joanne’s memory may be made to the Yosemite Conservancy (www.yosemite.org) or the scholarship fund of the Morgan Hill branch of the American Association of University Women (www.aauwmh.org).