Victoria H. (Desimone) Jones, age 99, of Walpole passed away peacefully on Monday February 5, 2018 at Quaboag Rehabilitation Center in West Brookfield, MA. She was the beloved wife of the late Frederick Jones who died in 1977.
Victoria was born in Boston on November 21, 1918 as the daughter of Italian immigrants, the late Alfonso and Adelaide (Fillippone) Desimone, thus becoming a member of “the greatest generation” that would face the challenges of the Great Depression and World War II. She grew up in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston where she attended Boston Public Schools and lived there until 1973 when she moved to Walpole with her family into their first home.
In 1941, six months before “the day that will live in infamy” she married her beloved husband of 35 years, Frederick Jones. After the start of World War II, Frederick was drafted and traveled to the southern United States for military training. Victoria also traveled south and lived in several states until Frederick was deployed to the Pacific theater of war for the next three years. She gave birth to her first child in 1944 soon after his deployment. She raised her daughter on her own for three years until her husband returned safely home from the war.
Over eleven years later, she gave birth to two sons. She worked part-time as much as possible at a local laundry until 1962 when her sons were able to attend school. She passed a civil service exam and started her career with the Boston police as a school crossing guard, a job that she was proud of and truly enjoyed.
Although she enjoyed her job, her life was devoted to her family. She enjoyed teaching her children the skills to succeed and encouraged their involvement in many different activities. She enjoyed driving her family to new places so much that her children nicknamed her “Easy Rider”. She loved to cook and prepared every family holiday meal by herself until well into her 90’s. She also loved to sing and her children looked forward to her phone call and a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday”. She sacrificed much for her family and was never known to think of herself. As a result, she created a lifetime of great memories as her legacy and greatest gift to her children.
She is survived by her three children, Patricia A. O’Leary of Jamaica Plain, Jeffrey J. Jones and his wife Joan Recesso-Jones of Hubbardston , and Dennis Jones and his wife Michele of Walpole. She is also survived by her grandchildren Ronald O’Leary of Dorchester, Shawn O’Leary of Walpole, Derek Jones and his wife Tiana of New York, and her great grandson Cooper Jones. Her sister Gloria Johnson also survives her. She was the sister of the late Gilda DeNapoli and Michael Desimone.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Saturday, February 10 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. in the Ginley Funeral Home, 892 Main Street, Walpole.
Interment will take place in St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in her name to the National Down Syndrome Society, 8 E. 41st Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10017.