Jean Madeline Johnstone Maloney

Jean Madeline Johnstone Maloney was born April 1, 1940, to Frederick “Ted” Scott Johnstone and Lillian May Bergeron Johnstone in Midland, Ontario, Canada. She passed quietly on September 13, 2026, in San Angelo, Texas with her daughter holding her hand.

Jean graduated from Academie St Michel in Cornwall, Ontario, and went on to earn her diploma as a Registered Nurse from St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto in 1960. She originally went to nursing school because, in the 1950s, a woman had to be a registered nurse to become a flight attendant. Unfortunately, two years into her three-year training, the airline rules changed, and her need for eyeglasses disqualified her. Undeterred, Jean completed nursing school and immediately applied for a U.S. Visa to work in St. Petersburg, Florida. If she couldn’t fly the skies, being at the beach whenever she could was the next best thing.

Soon after, she welcomed her daughter, Darcy. While they pinched pennies so hard that Abe Lincoln squealed, Jean was a true home economist who never made her daughter feel like they were poor.

In May 1971, Jean married Earle F. Maloney III. Their small family soon moved from Mississippi to Virginia, marking the first of several military moves before they finally settled in Texas in 1977.

Earle and Jean traveled extensively throughout their marriage, exploring Hawaii, Greece, Italy, China, England, Scotland, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Germany, and the Pacific Ocean. Jean loved to experience the world; if there was an available bed anywhere, she would hop on a plane. When Darcy was stationed in Korea, Jean visited three times, including side trips to Hong Kong and Thailand. When one of Darcy’s friends was stationed in West Berlin, Jean—who hardly knew the friend—asked to visit. That trip earned her a coveted "Checkpoint Charlie" stamp in a passport so packed with pages that an INS Inspector once remarked, “Now THAT’S a passport!”

Jean was always an adventurous traveler. In the early 1980s, she visited the Yucatan’s Chichen Itza well before it became a major tourist destination. Curious about the interior of the main pyramid, a local man offered to show her inside. Jean followed him alone into the bowels of the pyramid, where he struck matches to reveal brightly painted murals—sights hidden for ages and closed to tourists today. When she later recounted the story, Darcy chided her for following a stranger into a remote space, warning, "You could have been killed!" Jean simply replied, “Well, then put in my obituary: Up until then it was fun!”

Her global travels eventually inspired a career. After bringing home unique items, friends frequently remarked, “I wish you had brought more.” Jean researched legal importing and founded her business, A La Carte Imports, in 1986. The business flourished when she partnered with a manufacturer near Mexico City specializing in poured aluminum kitchenware. They later added decorative wall crosses, transforming the business into a nationally recognized wholesaler. Though she was incredibly proud of the business, it eventually interfered with her travel schedule. By the time she and Earle sold it in late 2000, the inventory featured over 600 unique cross designs.

Retirement brought even more adventures, including a coast-to-coast RV trip across Canada and cruises around the world. Through it all, Jean was known for her sharp wit. As her 80th birthday approached during the spring 2020 lockdowns, she quipped, “If all this virus stuff is an April Fool’s birthday prank on me, you can just stop it right now! It’s not funny.”

Jean was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Earle; her parents, Ted and Lillian; and her older brother, Guy. She is also reunited in peace with her parents-in-law, Earle and Susan Maloney.

She is survived by her daughter, Darcy Maloney, and husband Dale Werner. She absolutely cherished her grandson, Oliver Werner, who lovingly called her “Baba.” She is also survived by her younger brother, George Johnstone, and Guy’s wife, Kathy.

When Jean and Earle married, Earle’s large family welcomed her with open arms. She will be greatly missed by her six additional siblings and their families: Suellen and Mike Luwish; Carol Maloney (wife of the late Bill Maloney); Joanne Maloney; Marilyn Maloney Bergeron (whose late husband, Robert Bergeron, was Jean’s first cousin); Michael and Maxine Maloney; and Pattie and Aaron Overstreet. She leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews on both the Johnstone and Maloney sides, all of whom she immensely enjoyed spoiling.

Also surviving is dear family friend Larry Kershaw, who joined the family while a student at Angelo State University and remained in Jean and Earle’s hearts forever; Earle proudly served as best man at Larry and Sylvia’s wedding.

At Jean’s request, there will be no funeral service. Instead, she will join Earle on their final vacation together at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

Postscript: While living, Jean and Earle donated generously to various endeavors. However, they strictly avoided self-aggrandizement; to them, the entire point of giving was to lift up the organization or individual on the receiving end, keeping their own names completely out of it. The quiet beneficiaries of their generosity included Canvasback Missions, Wall Brethren Church, and the Wall Volunteer Fire Department. They even quietly purchased a brand-new microwave for a friend—their favorite hairdresser—when her shop’s microwave unexpectedly broke.

One day following Earle’s passing, Jean was organizing a donation to a local cause and repeatedly stressed that it had to remain completely anonymous. Her daughter, Darcy, smiled and told her, “I will help keep your anonymity in life. However, once you pass, you will be known as a very generous dead lady!” Jean couldn't help but laugh and smile at that comment.

In that light, our family established the Lt. Col. Earle and Jean Maloney Scholarship Endowment Fund at Angelo State University. The recipients of this fund are ASU Physical Therapy students, a choice inspired by the nearly three years of pro bono physical therapy Jean received when a neuro instructor was looking for a patient to act as a “guinea pig.” We will always be deeply grateful to Dr. Heidi Moyer for putting the word out and finding her. Jean truly enjoyed working alongside the students; those bright interactions were consistently the absolute highlights of her days.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Baycrest Assisted Living. You made momma’s final years special!

With all of that in mind, please consider donating generously to your own favorite charity in her honor, buy a random person lunch, or contribute directly to the family's fund: the ASU Lt. Col. Earle and Jean Maloney Scholarship Endowment Fund.