Former Standardbred horse owner Susan ‘Susie’ Jones, of Columbus, Ohio, passed away on Monday, January 7 at the age of 85 after a brief battle with cancer.
She was born Nov. 5, 1933, in Litchfield, Ill., to the late James Bonnet and Anne Bonnet. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1955, where she met the love of her life, Richard (the former assistant editor of Hoof Beats magazine), whom she affectionately called ‘Jonesy.’ They married a year later, on August 18, 1956, in Euclid, Ohio.
She was a physical education teacher for many years, but put that career on hold to raise her family first in Euclid, then Massillon, and finally Columbus where she and Richard put down their final roots. She resumed her teaching career in 1979, and later earned a credential in Special Education.
Jones was an avid fan of The Four Freshman and the Ohio State Buckeyes. She and Richard were members of The Four Freshman Society and The Buckeye Boosters, and they travelled to many conventions and Buckeye football games. She was also a member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Clintonville.
Jones shared Richard’s love of harness racing and they enjoyed attending the Little Brown Jug, which became a yearly tradition for the two.
She also loved working ‘jumble’ and word-search puzzles to keep her mind sharp and recently took up learning to crochet. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by her daughter, Laura Jones-Ball (Jonathan Ball); son, Steven (Elizabeth Hoffmann); and grandchildren, James, Rhys, and Darin. She was preceded in death by her beloved Richard; their son, David; brother, Dr. John Bonnet; and sister, Patricia Nissen.
The family would like to express appreciation for the staff at Mayfair Village for providing a caring, loving, and safe environment and for the staff at Ohio Health Hospice and Kobacker House for the exceptional care she received.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 18 at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 35 East Stanton Ave., Columbus, OH 43214 where the family will receive friends one hour prior to the time of service. A small luncheon will take place immediately following.
Memorial contributions may be made to the following: Gethsemane Lutheran Church at the address listed above; Buckeye Boosters, 921 Chatham Lane #301-F, Columbus, OH 43221; Habitat for Humanity, 3140 Westerville Rd. Columbus, OH 43224 or by visiting habitatmidohio.org; or Doctors Without Borders, 333 7th Ave., New York, NY 10001 or by visiting doctorswithoutborders.org.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Susie Jones.
(USTA)