To the Narrative Enneagram Community, it is with a heavy heart we must share that our esteemed community member Mary Jo Ruccio, passed from this life on March 2, 2026.
Mary Jo began her journey with The Narrative Enneagram in 2005, and has been a beloved member of our organization in many different ways over the years. She was instrumental in supporting the work of The Narrative Enneagram becoming a non-profit organization. This work helped to ensure that the large and profound body of work created by our co-founders Helen Palmer and David Daniels, M.D. and expanded upon by others will continue forward.
When reflecting on the work they did together to create the nonprofit, Founding President and Core Faculty member Terry Saracino had this to say:
“It was, frankly, more than just a little daunting when I saw the long to-do list. And then the pivotal moment arrived. Mary Jo looked at me and said, ‘When you lead a panel, you create a container for the panelists. Right?’ I nodded. ‘Your intention now is to create a container for The Enneagram Narrative to continue into the future. Right?’ All remaining resistance in me melted.”
Her organizational experience, along with her commitment to the sacred tradition of the Narrative, helped lay the foundation on which we stand today.”
Mary Jo became the first Executive Director of Enneagram Studies in the Narrative Tradition (ESNT), now The Narrative Enneagram, in 2012.
Paul Strasburg, former board chair wrote upon her retirement in 2015:
“With Mary Jo’s guidance, ESNT has developed a solid organizational and financial structure, created a first-rate website, updated and expanded our curriculum and course offerings, and extended its influence into new communities throughout the United States. It is no exaggeration to say that we simply could not have accomplished what we have without her.”
Following her retirement from the organization, Mary Jo continued to serve The Narrative Enneagram in many ways, whether providing support and coordination for in-person offerings or as a supportive ear with years of experience.
Bergamo Learning Community member Kate Dacy says of her longtime friend Mary Jo:
“Her life was marked by decades of devoted service — from her early years with the Sisters of Loretto, to economic development work across Northern Kentucky, to her role as Executive Director of Enneagram Studies in the Narrative Tradition. She helped revitalize neighborhoods, create jobs, and expand affordable housing. But whatever room she walked into — a boardroom, a retreat center, her own kitchen — she was doing the same essential thing: making people feel genuinely seen.
To know Mary Jo was to be accompanied. And for those of us in the Enneagram community, she modeled something we aspire to name but rarely achieve: a spirituality without bypassing, a discernment without judgment, a presence that was both rooted and receptive. She practiced what she taught — right up to her final days.
Mary Jo’s greatest joys were her family and her friends, who together formed the heart of her life. With a pure heart and deep compassion, she was the person others turned to for guidance and good counsel.’’
At Mary Jo’s funeral mass, the priest referenced a quote from Isaac Newton; “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Mary Jo is certainly one of those giants in this community. Her generosity of spirit has forever changed The Narrative Enneagram and her contributions will ensure that the lineage of the Narrative Tradition will continue on for many years to come.
Contributed by: Catie Bilz
Catie Bilz is a member of the Board of Directions with The Narrative Enneagram. She is a TNE Certified Practitioner, Mental Health Therapist, lover of stories, and mom of 2.
