Karen Beth Jones

Karen Beth Jones passed away on Friday, May 12, 2023 due to multiple health complications. Born on December 6, 1954, most people would say that she was 68 years old, but Karen resolutely stated since 1994 that she was only 39. She was the math teacher in the family so we will trust her calculations on that one. Karen is survived by her husband Greg, her daughters Rachel Rutter (Jason Rutter) and Maggie Jones (Jeff Phillips), and her grandsons Alex & Lincoln Rutter. She was born in Charleston, SC and moved around with her family as part of the Navy. They settled in Canton, GA where she attended Georgia Tech. She met Greg there as a fellow student and they were married in 1975. They had 2 daughters and moved to Canton, MI in 1988. She decided to go back to school and got her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Concordia University and her Masters in Education and with all of the coursework completed in a PhD in Education both from University of Michigan Dearborn. The rest of her life was dedicated to being an educator and continuing to help others. She taught at Detroit Urban Lutheran School, Concordia University, and Livingston Classical Academy. Karen and Greg have been active members at St Michael Lutheran Church in Wayne, MI for 35 years. She participated in multiple bible studies, choir, handbells, and counting the weekly offering plates. Karen adored being Nana to her grandsons. She lit up whenever they were even mentioned, proudly bragging about their little boy accomplishments, and absolutely never said no when they asked for ice cream. Karen also adored the extracurricular parts of being an educator. She very frequently spent hours with students after classes to help them understand their work. She kept her office candy dish overflowing because she knew that students were more likely to stop by and then maybe ask for help. She attended numerous athletic and cultural events at her schools. Karen and Greg were the Duke and Duchess in Concordia’s Boarshead Festival for 10 years. She was a Helper in the fullest sense of the term and loved making sure that others felt like they were taken care of. Karen helped an innumerable amount of people during her life and career and will be missed by all of them. Visitation will be at St Michael Lutheran Church, 3003 Hannan Rd, Wayne, MI 48184, on Tues 5/30 & Wed 5/31 5-7 pm Funeral Service will be at Concordia University Ann Arbor, Chapel of the Holy Trinity, 4090 Geddes Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, on Thur 6/1 at 10a, with a light luncheon afterward. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to: Please make checks payable to Concordia University Ann Arbor, write “Prof. Karen Jones - ARC” on the memo line and mail to: Office of Advancement 4090 Geddes Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 -or- To give online, visit cuaa.edu/give and type “Academic Resource Center in memory of Prof. Karen Jones” in the comments.