Tibby Cornelius

Tabitha Jane Jones Cornelius, loved by everyone who knew her, passed away at The Gardens of Scottsdale after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease on October 7. She was 77 years old.
Tibby, as she was known, was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, to Paul and Nelda Jones. When she was 3 years old the family, which included older sister Penny and younger brother John, moved from West Virginia to Phoenix, Arizona, where she settled and lived the majority of her life. Tibby was a graduate of Arcadia High School and went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA in 1970. Later she earned a Master's in Counseling from ASU.
Tibby married Dennis Cornelius on April 3, 1971. They had three boys- Brent, Scott and Ryan. Tibby used her knowledge of Psychology and her deep Christian faith to nurture and minister to anyone with whom she came in contact. She volunteered for the Junior League in Phoenix, and she and Dennis led numerous small group "Sunday School" classes at both Monte Vista Baptist Church and First Baptist Church of Scottsdale. Wherever there was a need, Tibby showed up with a fresh loaf of homemade bread and solutions. She embodied caring for the widowed, orphaned and sick as Jesus commanded and did so with a kind heart and a playful sense of humor.
She loved learning new things and was a tenacious researcher. She formed a small business with her partner, Miriam Mohler, called Jest in Time. It specialized in workplace seminars emphasizing the benefits of laughter and play into daily life, especially the family and the workplace. Because of this endeavor, she collected numerous crazy toys which she would share with everyone. In addition, she taught parenting classes at Phoenix College and AGTS. Inc. for many years.
Tibby had a beautiful singing voice and used her talents frequently in church services. She loved to laugh and practical jokes at family events always delighted her. Out of the many roles and jobs Tibby performed throughout her life, being a grandmother was her favorite. She and Dennis share 7 grandchildren. And they all adore her. Each grandchild selected a U. S. city to visit and explore its culture and history for their 13th birthday. She hosted "Camp Grandma" nights as often as possible and both she and Dennis invested in each grandchild's education.
She is survived by a large, loving family and numerous friends who now know the value of living a life for Jesus, filled with laughter and service. We will miss her dearly.