Marlene Frances Gaston

Marlene F. Jones Gaston, 84, of Bettendorf, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 21, 2021 at Clarissa C Cook Hospice House. Visitation will be held on Monday, March 29, 2021 from 3-6pm at Weerts Funeral Home. Funeral services and burial at Davenport Memorial Park will be private. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations in Marlene’s name be made to the Living Proof Exhibit at www.livingproofexhibit.org or to King’s Harvest Pet Rescue at www.kingsharvestpetrescue.org.

Marlene was born on May 24, 1936 to Walter and Thelma Jones in Mullen, Nebraska. She had a love for teaching and worked in the field of education for 44 years before retiring in 1998. Marlene started out in a one-room schoolhouse and taught a plethora of subjects including science, art, math, P.E. and summer camp throughout her career. Her additional roles in the field of education included working as an at-risk grant manager, serving as a school improvement consultant and mentoring new teachers. Marlene also served on numerous educational committees. She was a lifelong member of the National Education Association, Pi Lambda Theta, and Delta Kappa Gamma.

Marlene married the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Gaston, on May 24, 1955; he preceded her in death in 2020 after celebrating 65 years of love, friendship and adventure. She and Bob lived in several locations throughout Iowa, including Clarinda, Cedar Falls, Wellman and Bettendorf. They were theater buffs, enjoying shows in New York City, Chicago and as season ticket holders at the Adler in Davenport. Marlene’s favorite musical was Kinky Boots, and she knew every word to every song. She and Bob also loved to travel, having visited New Orleans, San Diego, the Black Hills of South Dakota and many other wonderful places. She had the opportunity to attend the 1968 and 1976 Olympic Games in Mexico City and Montreal, respectively.

Marlene was a breast cancer survivor, having beat it in the summer of 1983. Her experience affected her greatly, and it inspired her to volunteer for years with her local Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer organization. She participated in the annual Race for the Cure fundraiser from 2013 until last year, when the event was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. Her personal story of detection and coping, along with survival and advocacy for improved testing and research funding, were an inspiration to many.

Marlene had a zest for life and never knew a stranger. As a young woman she developed a love of horseback riding, coaching (and later judging) women’s gymnastics and serving on committees for multiple women’s groups. Marlene had many natural talents, including sewing, knitting and cooking. She loved to watch ice skating on television and tried to never miss competitions when they aired. Marlene was an avid reader, belonging to three book clubs up to the time of her passing. She has a house full of treasures new and old, including an extensive collection of items with a turtle motif. She was also a member of the neighborhood Tuesday morning coffee group that found a way to continue meeting this past year despite Covid-19 limitations.

She is survived by, and her memory will be honored by, her children Greg (Donna) Gaston and Heather (Trent) Wilkerson; granddaughters Danielle and Rose; sister Shirley Ryschon; sister-in-law Merry Jones; and her dog LouLu. She was preceded in death by her husband Bob; her parents; her brother Willard Jones; and her dog Hawkeye.