Joanne Zinsmeister Jones Herlick

Joanne Zinsmeister Jones Herlick was born to Nadine Weissinger and Carl Zinsmeister in Worcester, Massachusetts on August 3, 1921 and died in San Antonio, Texas on April 11, 2015. Joanne lived a remarkable life and was dearly loved by all who knew her. She spent her early childhood in southern Arizona roaming the Circle Z Dude Ranch that her parents and uncle had founded. Her memories of playing on the banks of Sonoita Creek under the ancient cottonwood trees are the stuff of family legend. It was there that she demonstrated an early interest in cooking by making her famous mud pies on the creek bank. She rode her own pony and attended the one room school house in nearby Patagonia.

In her early teens, Joanne and her mother moved to Tucson and then to San Francisco. Her mother married Harold Bishop and the family moved down the Peninsula, buying one of the new homes in Menlo Park, then a small town. Joanne attended Redwood City High School. Upon graduation from high school, she attended the University of California in Berkeley and pledged Chi Omega sorority.

In June 1941, Joanne married Ensign Herbert Charpoit Jones in Honolulu. The young navy couple set up housekeeping in Kanapali with a view of Diamond Head. The bride wrote daily letters to her parents talking about her dinner menus and cooking adventures as well as learning to play golf. Just six months after their wedding, the Jones's honeymoon idyll vanished on the morning of December 7, 1941, with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Herbert Jones, as a junior naval officer, was on duty on the USS California that Sunday morning. As the incoming bombs disabled the machinery moving ammunition to the guns on the top deck, Jones sacrificed his life saving men down below and organizing a line passing ammunition up to the top of the ship. For his uncommon bravery he was awarded the first Congressional Medal of Honor in World War 2. In the chaotic days that followed, the devastated young widow returned to San Francisco on the first flight evacuating civilians from Honolulu.

Joanne then attended Stanford University and worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital. In 1943, she married another young officer, Air Force Lt. Col. Conrad Joseph (Joe) Herlick, in a small wartime ceremony in Menlo Park, California. Their only daughter, Christine Ann Herlick Aubrey, was born a year later in San Francisco. With the war just over, in 1946, Joanne and two-year old Christine set out to join Joe on Guam. It took the young mother and baby more than thirty days to make the journey on an old troop ship, dodging typhoons across the south Pacific. Once on Guam, Joanne and Joe quickly found their stride as a couple, forming friendships that lasted a lifetime. It was here that they established their lifelong love of sharing gourmet dinners with close friends. Together they expanded their cooking repertoire to include local and freshJoe on the bar-b-que and Joanne concocting souffls and Caesar salads--long before any of those terms or foods were part of the cooking lexicon. Joanne was one of Julie Child's earliest fans and never missed an episode of Julia on TV.

The Herlicks moved throughout their lives to Air Force bases around the world: California, Alabama, Guam, Washington DC, England, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. Moving homes so often, Joanne enjoyed decorating with fine furniture that she and Joe had collected, especially their prized French and Italian antiques. Known for their exceptionally gracious hospitality, Joe and Joanne were legendary hosts wherever they lived. Always they were surrounded by a close group of new and old friends.

A lifelong learner, Joanne believed strongly in the value of an education and loved to travel. She took special care to find the best schools for her daughter, Christine, wherever they lived. Traveling was a great pleasure for her. In England, in the early 1950's, with her husband often too busy to travel, the intrepid Joanne took her young daughter with her on jaunts all over western Europe. They pounded the halls of the great museums in Paris, Florence, Rome, London, Amsterdam and Madrid. They took the train into London to see Margot Fonteyn dance in Swan Lake with many side trips to the London silver vaults. Joanne and Joe continued traveling after retirement with special trips to Asia and Africa. They were forever dipping into the French countryside for food and wine excursions.

Joanne served many volunteer causes, most often related to improving the lives of children. She was an officer and president of the Officers' Wives Club. Always a fierce bridge player, she also loved to play mah jongg.

When Joe Herlick retired after 35 years in the Air Force, they moved first to Tucson and then to San Antonio to be near their daughter and son-in-law, Christine and Charles Aubrey, and granddaughters. Joanne volunteered at the newly-formed Southwest School of Arts and Crafts, helping to found the Copper Kitchen. She cooked in and created many of the early menus at the school's famous lunchtime venue. She was an enthusiastic docent at the McNay Museum and an avid Spurs fan.

Joanne was adored by her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her terrific sense of humor and willingness to go on an adventure made her a special companion. She encouraged them to take risks and grow. They loved her guacamole and lemon pie.

The family wishes to thank Diana Camacho for the loving and responsible care she gave Joanne in her last year. Diana was ably assisted by Betty Abraham, Mayra LaRue and Lupe Herrera.

Joanne Herlick is survived by her daughter, Christine Herlick Aubrey; son-in-law, Charles Edward Aubrey; granddaughters, Sarah Kingsley Aubrey and Alexandra Elizabeth Aubrey, and three great grandchildren, Lucy Belle Harmon, Francis Joseph Harmon, and Clara Jane Call. Her loving husband, Col. Conrad Joseph Herlick, predeceased her 2008.

MEMORIAL SERVICE

MONDAY

MAY 4, 2015

11:00 A.M.

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

510 BELKNAP

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Southwest School of Art or Sunshine Cottage in San Antonio.