By Sally Tippett Rains
The love for the Cardinals has been in Karen Cain Fox’s heart for most of her life, but her heart felt a little broken this holiday season as she lost her mother, JoAnn Cain, of High Ridge, Missouri– the inspiration for that Cardinals spirit. JoAnn lived 82 years and was a big Cardinals fan. In JoAnn’s obituary, Karen wrote: “She also had a special place in her heart for the underdog, veterans, children, animals, and, of course, the St. Louis Cardinals.”
When Karen was 11, her parents divorced, due to her dad’s alcoholism and soon the chaotic atmosphere her mother had been caught up in morphed into a loving, supportive situation in the daughter’s eyes as they became surrounded by her extended family. And this new life involved the Cardinals.
“Before that I don’t remember hearing much about the Cardinals,” she said.
After the divorce she was around her grandparents more, and it was then she realized what a role the Cardinals would be in her life. She saw the basis for the love her mother had for the team which shaped the development of her own love for the Birds on the Bat.
“My grandfather was a huge fan,” she said. “He was my mother’s father and he listened to every Cardinals game.”
Every night, the sounds of Jack Buck and Harry Caray wafted from the family radio. Whether he was alone or with someone, while listening to the broadcasts, he would shout out or mutter his opinions. Little did Karen know her mother had been around baseball like that all her life and had a deep love for it.
Just as with many Cardinals fans, the sound of the Cardinals in the background became the fiber of their lives, starting with her grandparents. And the love of the Cardinals led many a school-aged child to want to play baseball either in the streets or the started Khoury Leagues which had been started by George Khoury in 1936.
“My mom was the middle child and her younger brother whom she adored played baseball growing up,” said Karen. The love of baseball was in the hearts of all my family members on that side of the family.”
Her younger brother, Karen’s Uncle Jim Cochran played Khoury League baseball.
“Mom even enjoyed watching her little brother—my uncle Jim —play baseball.”
St. Louis fans are very dedicated to baseball—whether they are playing it as a youth or listening and watching it as they grow up.
“In fact, I found out later that my grandparents and my uncle left early after my mom and dad’s wedding to go back to a baseball tournament my uncle was pitching in. Baseball was just in their blood.”
Literally. JoAnn’s cousin, Al Cardin played minor league baseball for the Baltimore Orioles organization. Al was five years older than JoAnn and she was able to follow his career and hear the stories about her family member out there living his dream.
Having grown up in a baseball home in St. Louis, JoAnn Cain was always a fan. She loved all the Cardinals players, but had one special favorite.
“She adored Stan Musial as such a fine man beyond being such a fabulous Cardinal.” She said. “As a Buyer in the automotive industry she would take the vendors to Musial and Biggies and she loved the times she could introduce out-of-towners to her beloved Cardinal Stan the Man.”
She broke barriers as the first female buyer in the automotive industry, paving the way for women in a male-dominated field. She often used her love and knowledge about baseball as a way to relate to them.
Musial and Biggies was a restaurant of which Stan Musial was part owner. He was often seen at the restaurant and would come up and talk to the fans. JoAnn would talk to him as other fans did and Musial was so personable, he remembered her, which was quite a treat for the guests she brought in.
“Her other favorite was Ozzie Smith,” said Karen of her mother. “She thought he too, was not only outstanding on the field but was a great person as well.”
Integrity and being a good person was important to JoAnn. She was known for her honesty, candid wisdom, and she took many roles in her church. She did a lot of praying and she may have even been praying for the Cardinals to win those World Series in 1964 and ’67 and then again in 1982. She remained a true fan through the David Freese era in 2011 and onto the recent lean years.
When Karen married her husband, Mike, besides judging that he was good for her daughter, JoAnn was happy he was a Cardinals fan. The photo, left shows Mike and Karen at a Cardinals game.
“There were times my husband Mike– another true Cardinals fan –would take my mom to a game since we knew she would be ‘in Heaven’ sitting at a game at Busch watching her favorite team.”
Most nights JoAnn would be watching the games on television or listening on the radio.
“When at home she loved to watch the game on TV and listen to KMOX Radio. Her favorite announcer of all time was Jack Buck and she loved to listen as he would call the game. She knew the stats, positions, and all the players. She did not hold back her opinion on the choices of the manager for her beloved team.”
Karen said she had a feeling she knew the reason her mother had such a deep love for the Cardinals.
“I really believe that when she was going through the tough times in life the Cardinals were her ‘gift’ for survival,” she said. “Trust me if a game was on, that was not the time to ask her ANYTHING.”
In JoAnn’s older age, watching the game became part of her daily entertainment.
“She has several Cardinal fan friends at church with whom she discussed every game and how they thought it went,” she said. “If you loved the Cardinals you became an instant friend. She was a true blue fan whether they were winning or losing. She never allowed anyone to speak derogatory of her beloved Cardinals.”
Not too long ago, one of their friends at church bought JoAnn a Fred Bird doll which she loved. They both watched the games with their mascot.
The family even gave her a Cardinals themed 80th birthday party. The photo at the top of the page shows the family at her birthday party.
They decked the room out in Cardinals decorations and encouraged their friends to wear Cardinals clothes.
The party was special but the biggest memory she would always cherish was being with her granddaughter Kami for Kami’s first Cardinals game.
“The first time Mom got to watch her one and only grandchild, Kami experience her first Cardinal game, she was like a kid in a candy store getting to share this love with her.”
That was 25 years ago, but as shown in the more recent photo, left, they continued sharing a love for the Cardinals, passed down through the generations.
With JoAnn’s recent death, and amid all the snow covering St. Louis, it’s hard for JoAnn’s family to picture the 2025 Cardinals season without her, but they know the warmth her memory will bring will keep them rooting for the team she loved so well.
And just like when her son-in-law Mike took her to games, they will continue going to Cardinals games only this time she really will be “in Heaven.” And just like many other Cardinals fans who have passed the love of baseball down through the generations, they’ll be thinking of her on Opening Day.
For JoAnn Cain’s obituary CLICK HERE.
