Mary Jacquelyn "Jacque" Monroe

Mary Jacquelyn “Jacque” Monroe, age 88, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2020, in Great Falls, Montana. Jacque was born on August 27, 1931, to Mary Elva (Smart) and Leon Vincent King in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She attended Oklahoma A & M (now Oklahoma State), earning a Bachelors in Music in 1953. After teaching for several years, she was accepted to, and completed the Master’s program in organ performance at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New Yok, studying with Arthur Poister in 1957. An accomplished musician, Jacque started piano lessons at age 5, moving to organ at age 15. She began playing for church services at age 11 in 1943, and continued supporting various churches for 62 years until retiring in 2007. In total, she played at 7 churches in Oklahoma, New York and Montana. For 45 years she could be found every Sunday at First Presbyterian Church in Missoula, Montana leading worship and making a joyful noise unto the Lord. For 32 years, Jacque taught general music in the Missoula County Public Schools, fostering an early love of music in many generations of Montanans. She was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. The consummate hostess, she guaranteed a beautiful meal, or a perfect pie followed by a competitive game of cards or dominoes. She was preceded in death by her brother, Charles King; husband, Laurence Bruce Perry (1971); husband, Louis Victor Bellusci (1986); and granddaughter, Shelly Stone. She is survived by her husband, Frank Monroe; sister, Carolyn (Dave) Stokes; daughters, Lisa (Scott) Perry Shull and children, Jeff (Letisha) and Andrew, Karen (Mark) Perry McInerney, Kristine Monroe, Jennifer Monroe and children, Tim Hartsell, Amanda Hartsell and Carolyn (Jackson) Goodell, Jeff Monroe and children, Mason (Jody) Thomas, Max, Luke, Jake (Mari) Hailey, Mary Monroe and children, Nicholas and Pearl, Hal (Lois) Bellusci and children, Heather and Hollie, Cherie Bellusci Stone and children, Saundra (Kevin) Ardoin and Victor (Kami), Bill Bellusci; and eight great-grandchildren. No services are planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jacquelyn King Perry Monroe Scholarship Fund at the American Guild of Organists (475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260, New York, NY 10115 - p: (212) 870-2310) or to an organization of your choice.