Patricia Ann Lanusse Jones

October 11, 1934 - May 24, 2019

Patricia Ann Lanusse Jones, passed away at home on Friday, May 24, at the age of 84, surrounded by her family. Pat was born and raised in Opelousas, Louisiana, the daughter of Alice Stelly Lanusse and Charles Cavaroc Lanusse. Although at the time women had few opportunities in science, she pursued her passion - Mathematics - at Loyola, New Orleans before earning her Masters degree in Education from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. There she met and fell in love with her beloved husband Bob. They soon returned to live in Lafayette and raised four children - to whom she was devoted. In addition to taking care of her family, Pat dedicated her life to teaching math. She first taught in local high schools and, after earning her second Masters in math, she continued teaching at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL). At USL, she developed her expertise on teaching math to future teachers. She was practically a legend at USL, and taught a generation of teachers. Pat helped found a company, Charism, with a dream of fully developing her visionary math curriculum to transform elementary and middle school math in Louisiana. For years, even after formal retirement, she wrote text books, demonstrated the remarkable effectiveness of her strategies, and traveled the state to train teachers in her new program. Pat was fiercely independent, with her deep convictions to service, truth, justice, and gender and racial equality, on display (subtly, or otherwise) through all she said and did. Her passions were her family, math and science, politics, tennis, good food, and so much more. She loved good conversation on these topics, and passed on her love for them to her children and grandchildren. Her chicken & sausage gumbo, crawfish étouffée, and crawfish bisque were hands down the best in the world. She loved games and storytelling. She spent endless hours playing with, and reading to, her grandchildren, particularly during the summer beach trips that were highlights of each year. She is predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Bob Jones, and is survived by her four children Tricia Jones, Bob Jones, Tom Jones, and Beth Jones, her daughters-in-law Julia Jones and Laurie Jones, and her six “grand-babies” Dustin Jones, Rachael Jones, Cary Jones, Catie Jones, Cameron Jones, and Emily Jones. Pat’s children are forever grateful to Melvenia and Bubble Reynolds - who cared for them in their youth, and their parents ever since - members of the family for over 50 years. They would also like to thank Destiny and Roxanne in Lafayette, and Ms. Henrietta in Baton Rouge for helping and supporting Pat over the last several months. A Memorial Mass for Pat will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, May 27 at Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church. The family will be receiving visitors at Pat’s home in Lafayette after the mass. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Doctors without Borders or the Alzheimer’s Association. There are in the end three things that last: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love . View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com Martin & Castille-DOWNTOWN-330 St. Landry St., Lafayette, LA 70506, 337-234-2311