Kacie Weiper
Danelle Diane Jones, 66, passed away in the early morning of Friday, May 6, after an aggressive return of cancer. Her final days were spent at her childhood home in Clearlake, CA, where she was visited by many loving family members and friends.
After working at the U.S. Post Office for nearly 30 years, she and her husband retired to the quaint and quiet city of Monte Rio, CA. There, they lived out their dream of being close to the ocean and Russian River. The area was a perfect place for food and wine lovers, such as themselves.
The nearby Bodega Bay was a favorite destination of theirs. They loved feasting on clam chowder, mussels, oysters, crab, and other fresh delicacies from the sea. They often enjoyed a fun day of snacking and crabbing off of Doran Beach.
Not a person to sit idle, Danelle spent much of her retirement crafting and creating artwork. The ocean and its landscape inspired her to create the most unique art, sculptures, and trinkets. Her hobbies spanned many interests, such as driftwood crafts, sea glass art, basket weaving, and beaded jewelry.
Like her husband, she was a loyal Giants fan and enjoyed many home games in San Francisco. While black, gray, and purple were well known as her favorite colors, she regularly sported a Giants-emblemed shirt, hat, coat, or pants.
Anyone familiar with Danelle knew that she was tough as nails. For example, once after coming home after a day’s worth of chemo (with a chemo pump still strapped to her side!) she proceeded to wrangle and drill holes into a luggage-sized piece of driftwood for an art project she was working on. She was a force to be reckoned with.
Danelle was loved as fiercely as she lived. As a devoted mother, daughter, sister, aunt, grandmother, great grandmother and dog mom, she inspired a lifetime of family and friends to live life to the fullest. Her strength, beauty, and boundless love will be forever missed.
Her family finds comfort in that she is now in heaven with the love of her life and husband of 20 years, Ray Jones, who passed away in October of last year. They are now free to travel the world, staying at luxurious establishments, eating the best food, and sipping exotic drinks. They are likely gazing upon the majestic orcas that live within the beautiful San Juan Islands, a place Danelle always wished to visit.
She is survived by her mother, Jan Garner; parents-in-law, Bud (Nancy) Jones; sisters, Jaye (Mac) Horst and Darsy (Shawn) Swatosh; children, Jennifer Waine, Kelly Weiper, Sam Dutton, Jeff (Holly) Jones, and Kacie Weiper; grandchildren, Kelci, Kaydon, Jaelynn, and Lilah; and great grandchild Johnny.
In remembrance of Danelle’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to hospice.
