Obituary of Jacqueline Kay Ghio

Jacqueline Kay Ghio- a longtime educator and librarian in the Santa Cruz City School District, and a loving mother, wife, daughter and friend-died of complications resulting from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, on Wednesday, April 27. She was 62. Born Jacqueline Kay Booth, April 3, 1949, in the western farming community of DuBois, Pennsylvania, "Jackie", as she was known, later moved to California with her family and graduated from Riverside High School in the San Joaquin Valley. Following graduation in 1971 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, Jackie began teaching fifth grade year at Bay View Elementary School, where she also served as a Resource Teacher. She later taught fifth grade and served as a librarian at Natural Bridges Elementary, and again as librarian at Mission Hill Middle School. Her final position in the local school district was as the Library Media Teacher at Santa Cruz High School, from which she retired last year. She was a strong and persistent advocate for public school libraries and library programs throughout her accomplished educational career which spanned nearly four decades. Jackie was also an avid flower gardener, knitter, knit designer, knitting instructor, quilter, and a voracious reader. She and her husband Steve Ghio, and friends Chrissy and Tony Perkins, opened a knit shop in Aptos in 2010. She is survived by her husband (of 38 years) Steve, her daughter Aimee Ghio (Gregg Stephan), her brother James Booth and her mother Bessie Jean Booth. Her father, Robert O. Booth, preceded her in death. A public memorial service is planned for Saturday, June 4th, 2011 which will be held at Santa Cruz High School Auditorium starting at 2:00p.m. Please visit www.pacificgardenschapel.com to light a candle for Jackie and share any condolences with her family.