Woman Killed in 101 Crash was Accomplished Speech Pathologist

Petaluma resident Jomar Lococo, who died in a Novato car accident on Dec. 18, was an accomplished speech pathologist who won many awards for her work and left behind dozens of friends through her involvement in the Petaluma Woman’s Club.

Lococo, 63, was killed when the car her husband was driving veered off Highway 101 just north of the Gnoss Field airport and struck a power pole. Her husband, Randy Fowler, also 63, was critically injured including a broken jaw and lacerations to the face.

Lococo and Fowler moved to Petaluma 20 years ago and spent more than three decades teaching English as a second language, first in Oregon and later for the Marin County Office of Education and San Rafael Unified School District.

In November, Lococo was named an American Speech Language and Hearing Association Fellow, an award given to exceptional professionals who have shown leadership in their area of work, according to a longtime friend and colleague Margaret Bernarding, who lives in Lagunitas. 

“Jomar was nationally recognized for her expertise in the area of separating cultural differences from language disorders,” Bernarding said.

Lococo was also an avid traveler with a deep interest in other cultures.

“She liked to see things off the beaten track,” Bernarding recalled in an e-mail to Patch. “Once she traveled to Vietnam and visited a family of a student of hers in a remote village. Jomar and Randy traveled to many countries in Southeast Asia, south eastern Europe, Central and South America, Cuba, Egypt and Jordan.”

Prior to the accident, Lococo and Fowler had been planning a visit to Africa to meet the child they had been sponsoring for years.

“She had a spark and zest for life … and believed in living without regrets,” Bernarding said. “She was a remarkable person and will be terribly missed by her family and friends.”

Lococo is survived by her husband, three sisters, a brother and many nieces and nephews.