Elizabeth J. Rohn-Nelson

Elizabeth J. Rohn-Nelson passed away peacefully with her daughters by her side March 31, 2012, in Peoria, Ariz. Elizabeth was raised in St. Louis, Mo., and attended Avila College.

Elizabeth is a former schoolteacher, excelled in public relations and sales, and had her own television show, "Talk of the Town with Elizabeth," in Kerrville, Texas.

Becoming an active volunteer in Texas Republican politics, she was selected by Pres. Ronald Reagan to be the director of region six for the Federal Task Force on the Homeless and operated a pilot program for the homeless under the Department of Health and Human Services.

Elizabeth was successful in working with the Department of Defense and directed their surplus food items, hospital beds, blankets and furniture to homeless shelters in Texas and across the Southwest. Elizabeth showed local groups how to look to their own resources and to enlist greater help from communities to form partnerships using public and private sectors.

Elizabeth then moved to Washington, D.C., where she served as assistant director for nonprofit associations to the Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. She created and directed the program "Bells Across America" with Chief Justice Warren Burger and had an instrumental role in the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations.

Elizabeth managed numerous GOP campaigns, was written up in the Congressional Record twice, and served on several federal and state taskforces for seniors and the aging. She was the only Arizona delegate on the White House Conference on Aging, nominated by Congressman Trent Franks in 2005, and also, representing Arizona, was a member of the State Pharmaceutical Commission for Medicare Part D. Most recently she was appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer on the Governor's Council for the Aging.

Elizabeth has received more awards and citations than most. She will be remembered as spending a lifetime helping the less fortunate, having a strong Catholic faith, and being passionate about her politics. Elizabeth's warm smile and charming personality always made people feel comfortable and as if they were longtime friends.