Katherine Marie (Kaunitz) Jones passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 22, 2018 at MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland, Michigan. She was born June 4, 1941, in Bay City, Michigan, to Frederick Kaunitz and Madeline Lipan. Kathy married Gary Jones on December 25, 1968, in New Jersey. She was a 1959 graduate of T.C. Handy High School, and received both a BS (1987, Liberal Arts) and an MFA (1991, Painting) from Central Michigan University (CMU). She was an artist, a "maker of paintings," and a gifted teacher who taught students of every age, from toddlers to retirees. She was an Associate Professor in CMU's Art Department from 1997 to 2013, but she continued to teach at the Midland Center for the Arts until 2016 when she retired to paint full time. In her own words, "My work is about color, emotion and energy. My goal is to create a painting that exudes positive energy. I want my paintings to take the viewer away from the negativity of the world emotionally, if only for a short time." When not painting, she mentored students, read about art, or looked at other artists' work. She also loved to cook Asian foods, and considered cooking to be "performance art."
She is survived by her husband, Gary; daughter, Julie Jones; sons, Chris Jones and Steve Jones; sister, Margie Jackson; granddaughters, Hannah Jones and Megan Jones; grandsons, Alex Owens and Tyler Jones; many extended family members; and former students who became special friends, Denise Ardis, Sheri Moore, and Rochelle Aultman.
There will be a luncheon honoring Kathy at Creative 360 on Friday, February 15th. Please call 989/837-1885 to be put on the list to receive more information in December if you are interested in attending. A posthumous show/celebration of life will also take place at a later date. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Ware Smith Woolever Funeral Directors.
