Obituary of Jacqueline Aline Shelton

Jacqueline Aline Shelton, 92, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2013, at Driftwood Health Care Center in Santa Cruz, Ca. She was born on December 7, 1920 in Sin-Le-Noble, Nord, France to Edgar and Marie Louise Carnieux Leve, of France. Jackie grew up in the north of France as an only child. After WWll, she came to America with her mother and was employed in various jobs from being a nanny to helping her seamstress mother in the fashion industry. She was very photogenic and once, on a visit back to the Riviera, was briefly filmed in the opening of a movie called "On the Riviera". She loved animals, and nearly always had a pet in her life, making sure they felt greatly loved. She also loved to sing, and frequently included her children in creating beautiful harmonies to familiar French tunes. Jackie met her husband, Harold Shelton, in Los Angeles on a blind date in 1948 through mutual friends and they were married for 51 years. During this time, she raised two daughters, had various jobs and enjoyed hobbies, including sewing, and re-upholstering furniture. They lived in San Fernando, CA, for 14 years where Harold worked as a commercial artist. Visiting Carmel, CA often in those years, they left Los Angeles for Carmel to pursue a quieter life. As the wife of a Carmel artist, and as an artist herself, she worked in their Carmel art gallery for many years, helping to support and establish her husband in the art community. After the gallery years, Jackie opened a boutique gift shop near Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf, showcasing imported gifts from France. They retired to Seaside, CA, where Jackie was a member of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Seaside, and was caregiver with her husband to her late mother, Marie Louise for 10 years. After her husband passed, Jackie lived with her daughter, Karen in Santa Cruz until 2010, and enjoyed singing hymns and being with family. Jackie was preceded in death by her husband, Harold, and is survived by her daughters Karen Shelton Rodriguez (Oscar) of Santa Cruz, and Anne Shelton of Madera, Ca, granddaughters Jennifer Rodriguez Bowman and Stephanie Smith, great-grandchildren Bailey and Jonathan Smith, brother-in-law Al Shelton of Studio City, as well as nieces and nephews living in other parts of the country. Thanks and gratitude to Driftwood Health Care Center and Hospice of Santa Cruz County. A memorial service will be held at Calvary Chapel of Aptos, 8065 Valencia St., Aptos, 95003 on Thursday, May 16, at 6:30pm. In lieu of flowers donations are suggested to Hospice of Santa Cruz County.