Harpswell – Earline J. Jones, 58, of Harpswell and Columbia, S.C., died early Thursday morning, Aug. 16 at her summer home on Deep Water Run in Harpswell with family at her side, following a nine-year battle with breast cancer.

She was born in Lewiston on March 11, 1949, a daughter of Ralph L. Judd Jr. and Earline J. Butler. She was educated in Lisbon schools and graduated from Lisbon High School. She continued her education at Rivier College in Nashua, N.H., where she attained a bachelor of science degree in biology.

Before beginning her teaching career, she was co-founder of EnviroTech Lab in Windsor, Conn. She later founded, and was a teacher at, Our Little Friends Nursery School in Bowdoinham. After that, she taught biology at Lewiston High School for two years and then spent 15 years at Greely High School in Cumberland as a biology teacher until her retirement.

Earline cherished her family and considered them her “shining stars.” She took great joy in having all her children and grandchildren around, making every occasion festive. She also loved her students and inspired many of them to pursue careers in science and teaching. She enjoyed painting, doll-making, quilting, travel, and frequent visits to the ocean. She will be greatly missed, but will always have a special place in the hearts of family and friends.

She leaves her husband of 36 years, Howard Jones Jr. of Columbia, S.C., and Harpswell; three daughters, Lisa Kinney and husband, Greg, of Aurora, Colo., Laura Jones and boyfriend, Timothy Martel, of North Conway, N.H., and Jennifer Jones of Denver, Colo.; two sons, Jeff Jones of Cambridge, Mass., and Howard Jones III of Troy, Mo.; her parents, Earline and Ralph Judd Jr. of Lisbon Falls; four grandchildren, Skylar Goldwaite and Kyle Jones, both of Brunswick, and Zita and Gryphon Kinney of Aurora, Colo.; her sister, Sheila McAllister and husband, Val, of Caratunk; her brother, Ralph Judd III of Millinocket; her mother-in-law, Zita Jones of Concord, Mass.; and several nieces and nephews.