Beloved and adored soul mate and wife of 31 years of Neal Blanchard, she died at her home in Baton Rouge on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. She was the daughter of Joseph E. Jones, 96, of Cuthbert, Ga., and the seven-months deceased Ruth Casteel Jones. She was born Sept. 23, 1945, in Fayetteville, N.C., and spent her childhood in Mount Holly, N.C. She attended high school in Greenville, S.C., and college at Columbia College in Columbia, S.C. She received a master's degree in English literature from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She came to Baton Rouge in 1969 as an instructor of English at LSU. From 1975 to 1985, she was a copy editor at the LSU Press. Thereafter she did freelance book editing for the Johns Hopkins, Duke, Yale and LSU presses. She edited hundreds of books during this time and was praised by editors and authors alike for her intelligence, her thoughtfulness, the depth of her knowledge, both practical and theoretical, and her tact. She was a lady of taste and refinement, and loved funkiness as well. She appreciated beauty in all its forms in art and nature. She was an avid hiking enthusiast and loved to learn about all the wildflowers, trees and animals that she encountered. She adored painting and music, but she was passionate about the written and spoken word. She loved literature, especially poetry, particularly that of her revered Walt Whitman. She was also a writer of poetry, which was reflective of her keen philosophical insight, her wit, her wry sense of the absurd, and her probing personality. She was a champion of humanitarian causes and had a generous heart and helped anyone who was in need. All who knew her knew what an unusual individual she was. Especially in her last days, she was an example of graciousness and courage who gave us the gift of a lesson in how to cope with adversity. Besides her husband and father, she is survived by a sister, Elizabeth West and husband Richard, of Edison, Ga.; an aunt, Evelyn Casteel Young and husband Albert, of Metasville, Ga.; two nieces and their spouses, Carole Collins and Leslie Lowe and Jennifer and Jason Skaggs; two nephews and their spouses, Joe and Jennifer Collins and Dan and Jodi Collins; and four cousins. Besides her mother, she was preceded in death by her beloved aunts, Mary, Anna, Rebecca and Marie. She will be greatly missed by the Blanchard family and a host of admirers and friends. Special thanks go to Diana Armstrong, who has been such a dear and helpful friend. Memorial service at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., on Saturday, March 1, at 11 a.m., with visitation from 10 a.m. until service time. Remembrances may be sent to Environmental Defense in Marie's honor at 257 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10010 or (800) 684-3322.
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