Obituary of Charlotte Jones

Charlotte Jones passed away peacefully August 20th after a long battle with lung cancer. She was born May 9th, 1930, in Branson, Missouri, to Warren and Daisy Cook. She is predeceased by her parents and her brother Raymond. She is survived by her husband Bob, brothers John, Charles, and sister Martha Lazich. She is also survived by her children, Mike, Jim (Tammy), Randy (Nancy), Cheryl Clements (Dan), 12 loving grandchildren, and two great- grandchildren. Charlotte graduated from Southwest Missouri State in 1952 with a Bachelors of Science degree in education. She was the editor of the college newspaper and participated on the speech and debate squads. She graduated with honors and was listed in the "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities". Moving to Tucson in 1957, she later continued her education at the University of Arizona where she earned her Master's Degree in English and Education. She began her teaching career at Doolen and Naylor Junior Highs. She finished 20 years in TUSD at Sabino High School as an English teacher and journalism sponsor of "Cat Tracks". She was voted teacher of the year numerous times while she was at Sabino High, and her newspaper was selected for a variety of scholastic awards. As a mother of four and English teacher for 20 years, Charlotte did not begin to paint until retirement in 1986. Her art education included Pima College classes, workshops with nationally known artists, and a three-week session at La Romita School of Art in Umbria, Italy. Her work was exhibited at the Tubac Center of the Arts, and several galleries throughout Arizona. She was a signature member of the Arizona Watercolor Guild in Tucson where her paintings were selected for the national show in Taos, New Mexico. Extensive world travels, as well as living in the Sonoran Desert, provided a rich source for Charlotte's work. Charlotte said, "Every place has its own soul and when I paint, I get to relive my particular experience of a place in concentrated intensity". Although her choice of art medium and approach varied widely from abstract to realism, exciting color was the key to her personal style. Charlotte and Bob recently celebrated 63 years of marriage by renewing their vows among family and friends followed by a trip to Hawaii. A perfect ending to a perfect life together.