Valeen Gabeline Tone

GABELINE, TONE, HUTCHISON, SCHULTE, RYAN

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 6/17/2007 at 13:58:03

VALEEN GABELINE TONE
published on September 10, 2006

Des Moines

Valeen Gabeline Tone, an accomplished artist, local activist and long time supporter of the arts, died September 2, 2006 at Wesley Health Center in Des Moines. Val was 95 years old.

Born in Burlington, IA to Jaccob and Myrtle Gabeline, Val had graduated from Burlington High School. She attended the University of Illinois, Champaign, and the Chicago of Fine Arts. After college she was married to Jay E. Tone, Jr. and moved to Des Moines.

A professional artist, Val was a Board Member of the Des Moines Art Center for 32 years, and it is there that she spent much of her time and dedication to promoting the arts. She also supported and studied at the Skowhegan School in Maine. Many of her huge oils and water colors of Iowa scenes are in private and corporate collections around the United States, and are part of the Des Moines Art Center’s permanent collection. She has shown them in seven of the Art Center’s Iowa Artists exhibit.

Val befriended and painted with such visiting artists as Jimmy Ernst, Robert Friemark, Dwight Krisch, Jean Charlot and Henry Varnum Poor. Her artist friends will tell you that she never has painted "like" any instructor. Rather, she has worked very independently and hoped on day you could look at a work and recognize it as hers.

Val was known for speaking her mind, her great sense of style of self and home, and her always entertaining presence. Her home was her living gallery.

Val also was a past State Chair of the Easter Seal Foundation. She was a member of the Jr. League, Proteus and loved tennis at the Wakonda Club.

Survivors include her sons, Jay E. "Terry" Tone, III (Barbara of Corona del Mar, CA, and John W. Tone of Des Moines; five grandchildren, Jay E. Tone IV, Anson Tone, Tracy Tone Hutchison, Catherine Tone, Rachel Tone Schulte (Bob); and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her former husband, Jay E. Tone, Jr.; her sister, Mrs. L.H. (Helen) Ryan; and brothers, Cleo "Gus" Gabeline and Keith "Gubby" Gabeline.

A celebration of her life and a memorial service is being planned for a later date at the Des Moines Art Center, followed by a private interment.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Hands On, Des Moines campaign for the Des Moines Art Center, "c/o family and friends in memory of Val Tone" or the Wesley Foundation in Des Moines.