Obituary of Frederick Jones
Frederick Woodhull Jones died peacefully at the age of 73 at his home in North Plainfield on Wednesday, October 24.
He is survived by his loving wife, Margaret Mary Jones; two sisters, Dorothy Owen, and Mary Elizabeth Eldridge; children, Catherine Bergquist, Anne Dorn, Richard Jones, and Therese Jones; and twelve grandchildren.
In 2013 he retired from a twenty nine year career at AT&T's offices in Bedminister, where he worked on financial modeling and pricing.
Mr. Jones was born May 9, 1945 in Freeport, Long Island, the youngest son of Fitzhugh Baytop Jones of Gloucester, Virginia, and Leola Woodhull Jones of North Bennington, Vermont. He was a graduate of Freeport High School. He received a BA in history from the University of Connecticut and was a brother in Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Naval Reserve. He served on active duty on the USS Tattnall.
After his military service, he earned a doctorate in economics at the University of Virginia. His career included work for the consulting firm J.W. Wilson and Associates in Washington D.C., and an assistant professorship at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, before his move to AT&T in 1984.
Mr. Jones was active in local politics, serving for many years as secretary of the North Plainfield Republican Committee and as campaign manager for several municipal elections. He also served on the board of the Green Brook Swim Club and on the board of the Green Brook Gators Swim Team. He was advancement chair for Boy Scout Troop 235 of North Plainfield for 27 years before stepping down last year. He was a communicant at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in North Plainfield.
In his retirement, Mr. Jones loved traveling, from small jaunts to Baltimore or Philadelphia to spend time with children and grandchildren, to intercontinental trips to visit his daughter's family in Asia. He hosted a yearly week-long reunion for his children and their families on Long Beach Island. In 2016, Mr. Jones and his wife completed a pilgrimage hiking through Spain on the Way of St James, a trip of 325 miles. He enjoyed accompanying his grandsons on Boy Scout outings, including a 50-mile trek across Maryland at the age of 69. He could often be found relaxing on his screened-in porch, reading about biblical archaeology or the Civil War, or cheering for the New York Mets.
Visitors may call from 4 to 8 pm on Friday, November 2, at the Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd, Watchung, NJ 07069. A funeral mass will be held at 11 am on Saturday November 3 at St Ann's Monastery Parish, 1250 Saint Ann Street, Scranton, PA 18504. Memorial donations may be made to Kurn Hattin Homes for Children of Westminster, Vermont, a charity that is very special to the Woodhull family.
