Mystic - Rosalind 'Ros' Loutrel Jones, 92, a beloved mother and grandmother who was devoted to her family and her church, died on Friday, June 25, 2010, after a long and happy life.
Ros was born Oct. 26, 1917, in South Orange, N.J., the daughter of Margarett Street Loutrel and Louis Frederic Loutrel. She grew up sailing on Cape Cod with her two older brothers, Louis F. Loutrel and Charles F. Loutrel who predeceased her. She attended Dearborn Morgan School in Orange. She taught art briefly following her graduation from Smith College in 1939. During World War II, she volunteered for the American Red Cross as a nurse's aide, then went to the Yale School of Nursing where she earned her R.N. degree. From 1948 to 1955, she worked at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she became nursing supervisor of the emergency room and where she met William N. "Wild Bill" Jones, an orthopedic surgeon. Ros left nursing after marrying Bill on Jan. 7, 1956, in South Orange, N.J. They spent more than 49 wonderful years together, rearing four daughters.
Ros called herself a "home engineer." She was renowned for her grape jelly, hand-knit purple socks, and home-made Christmas cards. She dedicated herself to numerous volunteer causes. She was a junior warden and member of the Altar Guild at Calvary Episcopal Church in Stonington. She served on the board of the Stonington Visiting Nurse Association. As a member of the Parent-Teacher Association of the former Old Mystic Elementary School, she helped start the school library. She also served on the board of trustees for the Williams School in New London, where her daughters were educated. She was a Brownie troop leader in Old Mystic, where she and her family lived for 43 years before moving to Mason's Island following Bill's retirement in 2001. She lived out the rest of her life in the house where Bill had summered since 1928. Bill died in October 2005.
Ros loved the water, especially swimming, sailing and family picnics. For many years, she played bridge weekly with her closest friends. An avid Red Sox fan, she stayed up late to watch their games and knew their standing in the American League until her death.
She is survived by her four daughters, Margarett L. Jones and her husband, James Roy, of Mystic, Rosalind L. Jones and her husband, Peter Isquith, of Thetford, Vt., Amy J. Hallberg and her husband, J. Andrew Hallberg, of Mystic, and Natalie J. Mazel and her husband, Gregg Mazel, of Providence. Additional survivors include ten grandchildren, Cyrus and Clancy Philbrick, Rozy and Toria Isquith, Gray, Sarah, Shepard, and Jackson Hallberg, and Nina and Lydia Mazel.
A funeral service will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 1, at Calvary Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations may be made to Calvary Church, 27 Church St., Stonington, CT 06378, the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, P.O. Box 122, Mystic, CT 06355, or Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut, 227 Dunham St., Norwich, CT 06360.
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