Patricia Jones

Madison - Madison lost one of its most delightful residents when Patricia Jones passed away on September 17th. Pat was a writer, editor, and grammarian, but above all, a beloved aunt and great-aunt to her family and a cherished friend to all who knew her. Her Thanksgiving dinners were epic, and her gazpacho was sensational.

Patricia Jean Juliani was born on June 3, 1946, in Hibbing, Minnesota. (She never crossed paths with Robert Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan, but once took a creative writing class with his brother David). She was a precocious child who loved sitting in her father Joe’s lap while he read to her from The Saturday Evening Post. At Chisholm High School, she was named editor of the school newspaper, after vying for the job with a boy named John Jones. Apparently, there were no hard feelings: the two would marry in 1973, after (among other adventures) wandering the country in a blue VW bus with an orange peace sign.

Pat wrote about student affairs for major universities, then when she and John moved from Chicago to Madison, so he could continue his work as a Lands’ End art director, she found a new career at TDS Telecom. Appearing on-camera for the company’s video magazine gave her an excuse to indulge her taste for Eileen Fisher. Pat suffered heartache when John passed away far too soon in 1993. But her family, friends, and dog A.Z. (part coyote) helped her regain her buoyant spirit. Her mother Jennie came to live with her for several years, and the two developed a special new bond. Even as Pat battled her final illness, her wit and merry laugh seldom left her, or ceased to inspire those around her.

Pat is survived by niece Cindy (Dave) MacLean, great-niece Megan and great-nephews Mike and Eric of Boston, MA; nephew Chris (Kathy) Thomas, great-nephew Jack and great-nieces Annemarie, Julia, and Kelly (Brendan) Davey of Northport, NY; nephew Greg (Elise) Thomas, great-nephew Joe and great-niece Emma of York, PA; nephew Jeff (Kim) Thomas, great-nephews Derek and Brad and great-niece Hannah of Albuquerque, NM; and godson Jesse Shackelford.

She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Jennie Juliani, husband John Jones, sister Joanne Thomas and brother-in-law Jack Thomas. We suspect that Pat is already starting a book group in Heaven.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Services

3610 Speedway Road

(608) 238-3434