Patricia Ann Jones had a soft spot for children and writing, and she indulged in both passions through volunteer work and by writing poetry for her family.
Mrs. Jones, 43, a member of the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 board of trustees, died Monday, June 4, of complications from diabetes in Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, her family said.
The Waukegan woman grew up in Zion, where she graduated from Zion-Benton Township High School. As a stay-at-home mother, she served on the parent-teacher organizations at Carman-Buckner Elementary and Webster Middle Schools. She served as the drill team dance coach and assistant to the cheerleading coach at Waukegan High School, her family said.
She was elected to the school board in 2005. During the election campaign, she said that she held a high regard for the teachers but wanted to see more accountability from school district leaders for academic failures, she told a citizens group.
“Patricia loved life,” said her childhood friend “Auntie” Rose Peters of Zion. “Children were important to her, which is why she spent so much time in the school district. She understood all the pressures children have outside school, which made them what they are in school.”
Mrs. Jones enjoyed writing poetry and often read her work at her church, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Zion, where she also sang with the choir, Peters said. One year, Mrs. Jones compiled some of her poems about life and distributed copies to family members, said her daughter Patricia Jones Dority.
She was a constant presence in the schools when Dority was growing up and always ready to volunteer for new assignments, her daughter said.
“Any time anybody would ask her for anything, she was there,” Dority said.
School officials said they were saddened by her death.
“She had a concern for students, particularly those in special education or who were slow learners,” said board President June Maguire. Mrs. Jones was involved in the Waukegan Schools Foundation, which raises money for supplementary programs and teacher grants, she said.
Besides her daughter, Mrs. Jones is survived by her husband, Donald; another daughter, Sable Jones Edwards; a son, Major Jones; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday followed by a funeral service at 10:30 a.m. in Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 2500 W. 30th St., Zion.
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