Jean Louise Heartsill

December 11, 1939 - February 25, 2014

Jean Louise Elliott Heartsill Jean “Jeanne” Heartsill died peacefully in the arms of her husband while surrounded by her loving family after life support treatment was discontinued on February 25, 2014. Jeanne was born December 11, 1939, in Fort Collins, Colorado, to Col. Ralph and Ruth Elliott. She married Gary Heartsill on June 12, 1960, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Jeanne is the mother of Laura Kelly Grant (husband Chuck) and Lisa Jean Bernard (husband Greg) and the grandmother of Claire Gibbs, Grady Bernard, and Emily Jean Bernard – who all called her “Grammy.” She studied home economics and fashion design at Oklahoma State University, has a BA in art from SMU, and MFA in Fiber Design from UNT. She worked for Richard Brooks Fabrics in Dallas while sewing and designing her own apparel, taught sewing at UNT, and flew as a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines for 13 years (following daughter Lisa’s 10 years with SWA, also as a flight attendant). Jeanne has Signature status in Southwestern Watercolor Society; Member for 35 years and past president of VAST (North Texas Area Art League), 1981 and 1985; Member Austin Street Artists’ Association; Member of Artists and Craftsman Association (past); Member of Society of Watercolor Artist, Fort Worth; Chair of Art Exhibits for the Spring Fling in Denton, and attended workshops in Santa Fe, Fredericksburg, San Miguel Del Allende, and Taos. Jeanne is a member of Denton Bible Church and was in Bible Study Fellowship, Senior Life Studies, Community Bible Study, and made two trips abroad visiting Israel and England/Scotland. Along with giving blood, visiting her “little ladies” in the nursing home, she took great delight in being a greeter on the west entry door of the church for years – she loved hugging and greeting her friends - and her ubiquitous smiling face with twinkling brown eyes will really be sorely missed. (Must add our little boy poodle “Biscuit” is still wondering where Jeanne went…) Memorial services will be held on March 8th at 2:00 p.m. at the Chapel in Denton Bible Church with Rev. Tommy Nelson officiating. Her ashes will be dispersed near where her mother’s ashes were placed in the Pacific Ocean near Escondido, CA, near her grandparents’ grave in Fort Collins, and near her marker headstone next to her husband’s headstone in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Ardmore, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Visual Arts Society of Texas, Jeanne Heartsill Memorial Award, P.O. Box 1281, Denton TX 76202.