Rachel Jones Wimer

Rachel Jones Wimer passed away on September 12, 2019. She was born on March 3, 1964 in Buffalo, NY, the daughter of Roger D. and Gloria Olson Jones and raised in Youngstown.  She was a graduate of Villa Maria High School and went on to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and then to the University of Wisconsin, Madison for a degree in Art History.  For a Master’s Degree in Art History she attended the University of Wisconsin-University of Michigan in Florence, Italy.  On her return to the U.S. she worked in the education department of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City for several years.  She returned to Youngstown to get a degree in early childhood education from the University of Akron.

On completion Rachel returned to Manhattan and became head of one of the Head Start districts of Manhattan, which included Harlem and part of Spanish Harlem.  While there she took classes needed to teach in New York at the Banks Street School of Columbia University.  While in Manhattan two projects she developed merited coverage in The New York Times - from one, the methods and services that she was able to procure for a Health Fair for the children and their mothers was adopted by two other districts.

After she married, she was the developer of curriculum for Mahoning County and also taught in the Art Department at YSU.  After the births of her first two children, her family moved back to the New York City area. She took over the after-school program for Southern Rockland County and had a third child.  Despite health problems she continued her job for several years.

Rachel is survived by her beloved children Zachary, Dylan and Isobel Wimer, her mother, her brother David W. Jones of Canfield, “brother by another mother” Paul Ndawula of California who was a member of the Jones family during her high school years, a very close cousin Nancy Martinkovic, close friend Katherine Nash, and many cousins and a niece and nephew.  She was preceded by her father, Jones grandparents and Olson grandparents.

Rachel was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown where a memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2019.  The Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown is located on Elm Street, opposite of Wick Park.  A light lunch and celebration of life will follow in Channing Hall.