Mary Eloise Jordan

It is with profound sadness that the family of Mary Eloise Jordan, announce her peaceful passing on November 30; her children, Michael and Janet, were at her side. 

The oldest of five children, Mary was born in Atlanta, Idaho to Bernard and Eloise Guenechea. Of Basque descent, Mary’s parents emigrated from Bilbao, Spain to start a new life in America choosing Idaho for its agricultural landscape as they began a life devoted to sheep ranching and farming. It was this environment that honed her work ethic and determination.

Mary lived in Idaho until she met her future husband, Asa, after completing a nursing degree at St. Alphonsus Nursing School. She spent the next 26 years as an OB RN, working at many of the same hospitals where Asa served as a hospital administrator in the Air Force. Their union took them to destinations and assignments around the globe, satisfying their love of travel and sense of adventure. Upon retiring from the Air Force, they moved to Phoenix, and the sunshine, to start a small business which they ran side by side until 2011. 

Mary was a loving mother and grandmother, sister and spouse. Her children, Michael (Laura Sammons) and Janet (Paul Richmann) and their families mourn the loss of the family matriarch. Her grandchildren, Jonathan Jordan (Francesca Dugarte), Emily Jordan, Michael and David Richmann, and great grandchildren, Alexander and Amelia Jordan, will feel the loss as they begin the new normal without her insight and daily conversations. Her two surviving siblings, Betty Karnes (Harry) and Vickie Sorenson, were her steadfast companions and protectors. They, too, were part of the daily conversations that sustained Mary during her final days. 

A profoundly private person, Mary was content to keep her circle of companions small and instead spend her time with children and family members. Sitting around the dinner table talking for hours was her favorite pastime, made better perhaps if a deck of cards was nearby. She could be counted on for the latest in fashion trends, an honest opinion, and songs of praise to her grandchildren. A true lady, Mary epitomized quiet elegance. 

Her life will be celebrated on Thursday, December 12 with a Rosary at 3:30 p.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 4 p.m., at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 4715 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix. A private burial will be held on Friday, December 13 at Arizona Veteran’s National Cemetery where she will be laid to rest next to Asa who, in 2017, preceded her in death.