Born Mary Jo Elizabeth Tlsty, Jodee passed away peacefully in Jacksonville, Florida on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at age 73. Jodee was a spiritual person, who is now in the hands of God.
Jodee was born on August 20, 1950 at Tachikawa Air Force Base near Tokyo, Japan to Theodore and Josephine Tlsty. Her father was in the Air Force, and they were stationed in occupied Japan post WWII. She was a graduate of the University of Tampa where she majored in Biochemistry with a minor in Psychology. Jodee was also a graduate of Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute where she received a master’s degree in management.
Jodee was married to Paul Rushton for almost 47 years. She was the eldest of five siblings. She leaves behind two sisters, Thea and Teri and a brother Steve, along with several nieces and nephews. Her youngest brother, Ted, passed away in 2021. She also left behind her beloved Siamese cat, Sugar.
Jodee loved many things. Among them was writing, researching on her iMac computer, and pets of which she had many over the course of the years. During her life, Jodee was a Girl Scout, a certified SCUBA diver, and a member of the Civil Air Patrol. Everybody who knew Jodee acknowledged her skills as an accomplished cook. She loved all aspects of cooking from selecting the best ingredients, to preparing meals and enjoying the fruits of her labor. Most of all, if you ask Jodee, her favorite part was working in the kitchen with Paul who always said, “Jodee has a knack for making food taste good”. It was very true. She was an avid recipe collector with a treasure trove of cookbooks. Jodee loved playing cards - poker, cribbage and for the last 10 years she and Paul enjoyed many hours studying and playing bridge. She became an accomplished bridge player. Jodee also enjoyed reading, doing landscape design and crossword puzzles.
Jodee had so many good qualities. She was a loving, thoughtful, introspective, very intelligent person with a lifelong thirst for learning. She and Paul loved each other dearly. Their love grew stronger throughout their 50 years together. She will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her.
Paul and Jodee support organizations that help people with leukemia and their caregivers. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to BMTinfonet at
https://bmtinfonet.org/products/donate-now
A Celebration of Life will be held for close family and friends on October 12 at their Ponte Vedra Beach home.
