Arlene Mae (Jones) Bjornson, died on January 11, 2018.
Born in Racine, Wisconsin, the middle child of Willis J. and Elizabeth Jones, Arlene majored in art at the U. of Wisconsin where she met and married August Svein Bjornson. She stopped her studies to work and support her husband as he pursued a PhD. She was a devoted wife and mother to their three children. Divorced from her husband after 35 years Arlene started a new career as paste-up artist in the advertising department of the Cecil Whig where she formed life-long friendships. She was very active in Parents Without Partners and became a Deacon at White Clay Presbyterian Church.
Arlene’s passions included golf and art. She was a 9 Hole Champion at the DuPont Country Club. When she was young she could easily play 36 holes (without a cart) in one day. Later in life watching professional golf on TV gave her hours of enjoyment. She applied to and was accepted as a student at the Barnes Foundation, where she spent years studying art among the many masterpieces in the collection. She also studied oil painting with Edward Loper. Always the individual, after a few years she decided to pursue her own painting style. She was a prolific artist and many of her family enjoy having her paintings in their homes.
Arlene travelled extensively in the US and Europe. She was always up for a road trip. One of her favorite trips was her annual trek to Lubec, Maine where she spent a week painting with her friends, Martha Barnes and Betty Ulrey. After a brief illness in 2010, Arlene was invited to make her home with her eldest daughter, Kris, and her husband Jim, where she continued to be an avid bridge player and voracious reader. Always well informed on current events, she could converse on topics from the situation in the Middle East to ”that rascal, Justin Bieber”. She discussed art with her great-grandson Sam, books with her son-in-law Jim, politics with her son Karl, “life” with her great-granddaughter Emily and golf with anyone who was interested. She loved to laugh with her friends Charlotte and Shirley.
With her artist’s eye she saw the world in terms of light and color appreciating beauty and design in both the natural and material worlds. She loved life, was an independent thinker, stuck by her opinions and was always interested in learning new things. She met challenges with strength, dignity and absolute honesty. She did not tolerate injustice especially to those she loved. Her core belief was guided by “always do the honorable thing.”
She was predeceased by her sister, June Marth, and her brother, Emmett Jones.
She is survived by her 3 children, Kristin (Jim) Smith, Karl Bjornson and Katharine (Danny) Shuford, 11 Grandchildren, Wendy (Heath) Jones, Jennifer (Paul) Walmsley, Jennifer (Matt) Yaakovian, Amy (Jeff) Powers, Erik Bjornson, Ingrid Bjornson (Ike Faulkenberry), Kevan Bjornson, Katy Bjornson, Jason Howard, Tristan Diamond and Bowen Diamond, 12 great-grandchildren, Emily, Aidan, Sydney, Brett, Ethan Natalie, Sam, Nate, Zach, Freyja, Hadley and Hampton, and her two dear friends Charlotte Ott and Shirley McCauley.
On February 3, 2018, we will celebrate Arlene’s life at Chandler Funeral Home, 7230 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin. Visitation starts at 2:30 and memorial service at 3:00. In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable contribution in her name to The Janus School Scholarship Fund, 205 LeFevre Rd, Mount Joy, PA 17552.
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