Deanna Jones' Obituary
Deanna Kay Thompson Jones, age 79, passed away peacefully on August 28th, 2023, surrounded by family at her home on Edisto Island, South Carolina, after a courageous battle with cancer of the bile ducts (cholangiocarcinoma). Deanna (Dezzie to her friends and family) was born on December 14, 1943, in Charlotte, NC to the late Paul Thompson Sr. and Eunice Nelson Thompson. She was the youngest of ten children and grew up in the Mountain Island/Shuffletown area of Charlotte. Deanna was a proud graduate of West Mecklenburg High School Class of 1962. Following high school, she attended Lees-McRae Junior College in Banner Elk, NC, earning her Associate in Arts in 1964, prior to completing her Bachelor of Science degree at Appalachian State Teachers College (what would become Appalachian State University) in 1966. From there she obtained a Master of Education (specialty in Reading) from Clemson University, where she also completed credit towards a doctoral degree.
While attending Appalachian, Deanna was introduced to Robert Stanley (Stan) Jones, who would go on to become her loving and devoted husband of 56 years, having married on January 14, 1967. Deanna was not only a loving wife but also a loving and dedicated mother to their three daughters and grandmother to their three grandchildren, who were her pride and joy. She was known as NeNe to her grandchildren, having been named by her first grandson, Zachary.
Deanna was passionate about education, focusing her work on helping elementary and middle school students master skills related to reading and math, as well as supporting her peers in becoming more effective teachers. She was beloved by her students and fellow teachers alike, having been honored by the South Carolina House of Representatives as Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1989. As stated in her award letter, “[Her] dedication, commitment, and exciting methods of teaching [were] but a few of the reasons [she] received this recognition.” She loved watching children reach their goals and endlessly encouraged, inspired, and championed her daughters and grandchildren to accomplish every educational goal possible.
Deanna’s commitment to supporting the educational well-being of others was just one of her countless caring traits. She was a caretaker by nature, always putting others’ needs before her own. She embodied Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.” Deanna would go out of her way to ensure that her immediate and extended family knew they were loved and cared for, whether through the meals she made (being a phenomenal cook and baker), the cards and letters she sent, the time she made for long talks, or the generous gifts that she gave.
That caring spirit extended to plants, as well, as Deanna had a masterful green thumb. She loved being surrounded by flowers and plants and could nurture even the frailest plant back to hearty life. She was regularly helping (and directing) her husband in arranging and tending to plants in their yard and giving her daughters and others advice on what plants would thrive in their homes and how to best care for them. She also made sure to always have fresh cut flowers, most often gardenias, peonies, or tulips that she had growing in the yard, waiting for her daughters when they came home.
Deanna’s strength and grace were remarkable, especially in these final two years, as she fought to overcome cancer. To know her was to admire and love her. She was strong, independent, smart, creative, loving, generous, and loyal. One of her favorite things was to celebrate birthdays and every single holiday, so that the house and meals matched the occasion - Corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day, her family’s traditional dressing for Thanksgiving, quiche for Christmas, and ghostly pancakes for Halloween. April Fool’s Day held a particularly special place in her heart - there are too many stories to recount. She was also quite serious, which made her humor and laughter that much sweeter. Deanna was truly a gift - as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and neighbor. We are so very blessed to have had her in our lives and to be able to carry on her love, stories, lessons, and traditions.
Deanna was preceded in death by her parents, Paul Thompson, Sr. and Eunice Nelson Thompson; oldest sister, Carolyn Thompson Young; five brothers, Paul Thompson, Jr., Oliver Thompson, Marvin Thompson, Curtis Thompson, and Emmett (Butch) Thompson; sisters-in-law, Bobbie, Joan, and Melva Thompson; brother-in-law, Tommy Young; her dear friend, Loretta Todd; and several nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Jones is survived by her husband, Stan; their three daughters, Dana Leanne Jones (Don Paul Kovarcik), Kristen Thompson Jones Champagne, and Laura Kay Jones; and three grandchildren, Zachary Hunter Champagne, Caroline Deanna Champagne, and Bohdan Stanley Kovarcik. She also is survived by her siblings, Norman Thompson, Charles Thompson (Ella), Vera Thompson Smith (Jim); sisters-in-laws, Terry Thompson and Nancy Thompson; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A Celebration of Deanna’s life will be held on September 2, 2023, at 11:00 am at Cook's Memorial Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. The family will receive friends in the church following the service.
Memorials can be made to Cook's Memorial Presbyterian Church, 3413 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd, Charlotte, NC 28214; The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, https://cholangiocarcinoma.org/; or the Helps Education Fund, https://www.helpseducationfund.org/. The family would like to express their extreme gratitude to the doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas and Roper Saint Francis Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina for the care they provided Deanna over the last several years.
James Funeral Home is assisting the family. Online condolences may be made at www.jamesfuneralhomelkn.com.
Obituary lovingly written by the family.
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