JONELL YVONNE PENNEY PHILLIPP PEACE, 77,
passed away Sept, 10, 2017 in Glendale, AZ where
she had been hospitalized with dementia. Burial
was at Resthaven Park Cemetery in Glendale.
She was born Jan. 12, 1940 to Dodds Penney & Cozette
Wilkinson Penney (RHS-1931, RISD teacher) in Denton,
TX. Shortly after, the family moved to a house on
her grandfather's farm in Ranger, TX where her brother
Raymond Dayle Penney (RHS-1962) was born. The home
they lived in had electricity but no running water or
indoor plumbing, and they had an ice box instead of a
refrigerator.
Jonell went to Ranger Elementary and then Ranger High
School where she graduated in 1957. Growing up on a
farm, she had a lot of interest in animals. She was
a member of Future Farmers of America, and she won
Grand Champion several times at the Eastland County
Fair with her sheep.
After high school, she attended Ranger Jr. College and
then Texas Women's University in Denton. She received
her teaching degree and took her first teaching job in
Colorado. In 1963, she moved to Phoenix and started
working as a librarian for the Alhambra School District.
She continued with them for 30+ years, serving as president
of the Alhambra District Association of Classroom Teachers
(ADACT) for several years. She was also editor-in-chief
of the ADACT newsletter for several years. Through those
years of service to the school district, she continued
her own education and eventually earned her Master's
Degree in Education.
After moving to Phoenix in 1963, she married Ed Philipp,
and they had two sons, Brent and Rob. Being a teacher
and a librarian, she valued education, so she made sure
the boys had strict guidelines on what school grades
were expected. Since she had the summers off, she and
the boys were able to make many trips back to Ranger
and later Baytown after her mother moved there.
As sometimes happens, she and Ed separated in 1984. In
1985, Jonell married Roy Peace, a fellow teacher in the
Alhambra School District. They married during a trip to
Washington D.C. for the National Education Association's
national conference. With teaching in common, much of
Jonell and Roy's life involved teaching. They took a trip
to China with a group of other educators and, along with
the usual tourist activities, they were able to tour some
of the schools in China. They toured a range of schools,
from elementary to college, to see how they compared with
our schools here. After the school tour, they had dinner
with many of the education leaders for China.
From her early years on the farm, Jonell always had a love
of animals, especially chickens. She had live chickens as
pets and for fresh eggs, but she also liked things with
chickens on them. She had knick knacks with chickens,
pictures of chickens, and anything you could think of
with chickens on them.
Jonell was also crafty. She loved to make things. Through
the years, she tried her hand at different arts and crafts.
She did macramé, stained glass, jewelry making, & in retire-
ment, she settled into doll making. She took numerous classes
and competed in doll shows, eventually moving up to expert
class in the shows. She won numerous awards for her dolls.
Because she had such a love of doll making, she wanted to
share with others. She began teaching doll making classes
herself. Jonell partnered with her friend, Marianne, to
form "Miss Mouse and Chicken Coop Creations" to teach doll
making classes and sell supplies. She continued to make dolls
until her failing health made it too difficult. Jonell's
enthusiasm for life and her infectious smile will be sorely
missed by her many friends and family.
She is survived by her husband Roy Peace, sons and family
Brent & Linda Phillipp of Glendale AZ, Robby and Stefani
Phillipp, granddaughter (all of California), brother Dayle
Penney of Azle TX, and cousins David, Tati & son Winston
of Round Rock, TX.