Jeffrey D. Jones
It is with tremendous sadness and love that we announce the passing of Jeffrey D. Jones, 78, of Akron, New York. Jeff died unexpectedly on May 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio surrounded by his family.
He was born on July 8, 1945 in Ottawa, Canada and grew up in Toronto, Canada until moving to Buffalo in 1957. At the age of 12, he was incredulous that his father would move them to a city that didn’t have a hockey team, and could not quite imagine his life going forward. But it did, with a maple leaf often present somewhere on his clothing. And, Buffalo even got a hockey team.
Jeff taught history for 35 years, 33 of them being at Grover Cleveland High School, where he loved going to work every day and was dubbed “Mr. Grover” by one of his principals for his love of the school, his students and his colleagues, and, last but definitely not least, his famous trumpet blaring whenever the football team made a touchdown. Jeff stayed in touch with many of his teaching colleagues for the 21 years of his retirement with a monthly breakfast and other get-togethers.
He and his wife Laurel made Akron home in 1993, a move with which he was thoroughly pleased. Jeff participated in the Lions Club, the Newstead Historical Society and actively supported our local businesses. The friendliest of people, his favorite local activity was without a doubt going to either Mary’s or Candy Apple for a bite to eat and, hopefully, running into someone to chat with or tell a story to, always with his sense of humor as a main ingredient.
He is survived and very much missed by his loving wife Laurel, son James Jones (wife Jill) of Cincinnati, Ohio; daughter Elizabeth Jones, son Wyeth Jones (wife Anna), all of Akron; grandchildren Tess and Charlotte Jones of Cincinnati; Quinn Reagan, Grady and Emmett Jones all of Akron; his brother Brian Jones (wife Candy) of Boone, North Carolina; niece Debbie Jones and nephews Ethan and Evan Jones, his Canadian cousins, his “Grover Family”, and other friends.
A celebration and remembrance of Jeff will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 4, 2024 at the American Legion, 9 Eckerson Ave., Akron, NY.
He would be pleased for donations to be made to any Ukranian humanitarian relief as his mother’s family emigrated from Czechoslovakia due to unrest in Europe in the last century. Also dear to him was the Special Olympics, and locally, the Lions Club or the Newstead Historical Society.