Wilmot Rufus Jones, III

Wilmot Rufus Jones III passed away peacefully in his home in Ada, Oklahoma on January 13 ^th , 2021 at the age of 86.  Rufus is survived by his beloved wife of 13 years Martha L. Ehrlich who was at his side to the very end.  Rufus is also survived by his sister Mary Lee Hargadon of Brunswick, ME, his first wife Joan R. Jones of Bedminster, NJ, and his six children including Jennifer R. Jones of Florham Park, NJ, Elizabeth A. Jones of White Salmon, WA, Margaret J. Carpenter of Falls Church, VA, Peter R. Jones of Acton, MA, Stephen M. Jones of Victoria, TX, and Kenneth C. Jones of Kenmore, WA.  Rufus' family includes six nieces and nephews, five wonderful stepchildren, fifteen grandchildren and one great-grandson.  Quite a legacy, especially considering he was the child of parents that believed in the idea of low population growth.

Rufus is preceded in death by his second wife Ellen 'Rusty' Jones and his youngest son Daniel T. Jones.

Rufus was born in New York City on December 29, 1934 and spent his formative years growing up in Wilmington, DE where his father Bill was headmaster at Wilmington Friends School.  From his parents and his schooling, he was raised in the light of the Quaker faith yet still found means of expressing (and frequently getting away with) a mischievous sense of humor that he never abandoned in adulthood, as his sister Lee can attest.  Rufus' childhood summers were enjoyed at his family's vacation home in South China, ME, where the family escaped the cloud of the Depression and war and where Rufus came to embrace his father's love of sailing.  Rufus graduated Friends School in 1952 to attend Cornell University in Ithaca, NY where he studied Hotel Administration.  At Cornell he met his first wife Joan with whom he graduated in 1956.  That year he was called into military service when, keeping with his Quaker faith, he served as C.O. at Memorial/Sloan Kettering Institute in NY.  In 1957, Rufus and Joan were married and then returned together to Ithaca where Rufus obtained his MBA from Cornell.  1959 marked the dual launch of his successful career in Marketing, and more importantly to him, the start of their family which grew over the next twelve years to seven children strong.

As the 'Great Provider' for nine, Rufus pursued a career path where a willingness to move and meet opportunity facilitated a steady and steep career trajectory.  Rufus ascended into senior management with many large food service companies including General Foods in Indianapolis, IN, R.T. French Co. in Rochester, NY, Nestle Foods' chocolate division (a hands-down favorite of his children) in White Plains, NY, and Pet Foods in St. Louis, MO, leaving his mark at every stop.  Anyone who is familiar with the 'Squeeze Me' bottles of French's Mustard or has ever enjoyed the crunch of rice krispies in their chocolate bar has Rufus to thank.  Through ten relocations as a self-proclaimed 'corporate nomad', his dedication to his family always came first.  He somehow found the time for competitive sailing with his daughter Jennifer on Lake Ontario, going to Indian Guides campouts with his boys, teaching his cheerleader daughters the finer points of high school football just so they would know the perfect cheer to call, or simply showing up at the back row in the audience of a school play when you knew he had to work late.  All this while saving enough to send all seven kids to the best schools he and Joan could afford, including Williams College, Stanford University, Harvard University and their alma mater Cornell.  A Great Provider, indeed.

In 1992 Rufus married Rusty Pardon in St. Louis, MO, expanding his family to include stepdaughter Pamela and stepson Douglas.  Still with some career energy to burn, Rufus purchased Mike & Min's, a renowned blues bar in the Soulard neighborhood downtown which he owned and operated until his retirement in 1997.  In 2002 he and Rusty decided it was "time for re-potting" and moved to St. Augustine, FL where together they built the home of their dreams.  Over the decades, South China, ME was a steady hub for Rufus, a love for which his family came to share.  In a life already full of victories, it was a personal highlight for Rufus to acquire with Rusty a property of their own on China Lake, just a stone's skip down the shore from the original Jones family camp founded by his namesake grandfather.

In 2006 Rufus' beloved Rusty was lost to cancer, but not before she played matchmaker and connected Rufus with her best friend of 40+ years, Martha Ehrlich.  Martha and Rufus were married in 2007 in a ceremony overlooking China Lake, with so many family and friends in attendance it was a wonder the back deck did not collapse.  Rufus' family had expanded again to include Martha's children, Miles Ehrlich, Erich Ehrlich and Cara Crawford and a new home base in beautiful Ada, OK. Rufus' final years were spent in peace and happiness with Martha at his side until his final sunset.

Rufus will be remembered for his bone-dry wit, his competitive spirit (be it on the squash court, croquet pitch or backgammon board), his fondness for a certain whisky, a roaring fire, frequently hideous pants, but above all, his love of family and the legacy of a life very well lived.

Rufus will be laid to rest in Maine in a private ceremony later this year.  In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to be made to Wilmington Friends School or the China Lake Association.