Misty Gwin

Tucson - Methel Ann "Misty" (Teagarden) Gwin passed away peacefully at the age of 98 on August 15, 2025 in Tucson, AZ. Misty was born on October 18, 1926 in Fairmont, WV to Ross and Alma Teagarden. She graduated high school in Dana, IN and later attended Southern Illinois Normal University in Carbondale, IL where she was a proud member of Pi Kappa Sigma. After college she moved to St. Louis, MO and started working at Barnes Hospital in the Admitting Dept. She met Leon Rogers, a co-worker, and they married in 1948. They had two daughters while living in St. Louis and later moved to Dallas, TX where they had a third daughter. Not long after, they moved to Oklahoma City, OK. In 1960 Leon was offered a job on the West Coast so they moved to Castro Valley, CA in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Misty thrived on staying busy and once her three daughters started school, she found herself with lots of free time. She got a job as a medical assistant for Dr. Arthur Bolter, a local pediatrician. Misty worked for Dr. Bolter for many years and they became lifelong friends.

The marriage to Leon ended in divorce and suddenly Misty was a single mother, deftly managing a full-time job and raising three feisty daughters on a tight budget. She met Jim Gwin on a blind date and they married in 1968. For the next few years they moved around a lot; they lived in southern California, then moved to Virginia, then to Maryland. While living on the East Coast, Misty got a job at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC in the Orthopedic Dept. The year was 1971, during the Vietnam war, and the patients in Ward 1 where she worked, were mainly amputees. True to form, Misty was soon organizing tasks and activities for the guys to occupy their otherwise boring (and long) hospital stay. She was a popular figure around the Ward and became lifelong friends with several of the patients.

In 1973 Jim was offered a job in Reno, NV so they found themselves on the move again. Jim was a race car enthusiast, and they both became very active in the Sports Car Club of America, getting to know several local racers and eventually becoming pit crew members for a local racing team (Team Reno), where they traveled around the Western U.S. and Canada on the racing circuit. Misty loved her years in Reno. She and Jim traveled a lot and one of her most memorable trips was a river raft excursion down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon held a special place in her heart for the rest of her life. She worked for the V.A. Hospital while in Reno and eventually retired from there in 1977. Jim passed away in 1996 and a friend convinced her to come to Yuma, AZ for the winter months. In 2002 she moved there permanently and not long after, met Lee Blackledge. She and Lee lived a happy life together in Yuma, and later in Tucson, where they continued to travel and enjoy socializing with their many friends.

Misty was a regular at Sunday church services wherever she lived and often sang in the choir. She was a generous contributor to her church and to many other charities, and a frequent volunteer in her community. She loved music; her favorites were gospel, piano and symphony. There was always music on in her house and she played her piano every day. She and Lee enjoyed the symphony and held season tickets for many years.

Misty poured her heart into everything she did. Her interests and talents were many and included quilting and sewing, crocheting, clogging, piano playing, reading, painting, wood working, upholstery, and baking, just to name a few. She was an avid Scrabble player right up to the end. She never missed Jeopardy, nor bingo night, enjoyed card games, and loved solving puzzles of all kinds especially crosswords and cryptograms. She always had a jigsaw puzzle in the works. She was an avid sports fan and especially enjoyed watching Formula 1 car racing, college football and basketball on TV.

Staying active was very important to Misty, and she prided herself on being physically fit, taking long walks every day well into her 90's. Even after her knees became a problem she walked every morning with her walking poles and later using a walker for support; nothing stopped her.

Misty had a wealth of accomplishments. She was highly organized; a master at record-keeping and networking, she kept several card files and notebooks that would rival any government intelligence agency. She delighted in creating things and she possessed remarkable problem-solving skills. She invented "movable interior walls" and was awarded a U.S. Patent for it. She also held two copyrights, one for a board game she invented and another for a book about thrift shopping. She also won several prize ribbons from the Nevada State Fair for her quilts and outstanding baked pies.

Misty was the proud and caring mother of three daughters, Terrie Clark, Jan Rogers, and Vickie Christine and a grandmother to Kelsey Clark and Courtney Christine. She had a knack for remembering every birthday, anniversary, and important date in her children's and grandchildren's lives, never failing to send a card or make a call. She instilled in us the importance of family, hard work and doing what is right and taught us to be strong, independent individuals, to speak our minds and to pursue our dreams with unwavering determination.

She was a mentor and friend to many who sought her friendship and caring concern. She was deeply social and enjoyed good conversation. She cherished all her personal relationships, developing them at each stage of her life, with most of these lasting until she died.

Misty was absolutely one of a kind. She was tough, unyielding, loving, and unforgettable. She lived life exactly on her terms: fiercely independent, doggedly determined, and no nonsense. And though the world feels a little dimmer without her in it, we carry her with us in our hearts forever. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

The family invites you to honor Misty's memory by making a donation to Harmony Hospice of Tucson AZ, or to a hospice organization of your choice.