Joan Jones

Joan Roosa Jones, age 90, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2025 at Good Shepherd Fairview Home in Binghamton, New York, following a life filled with service, faith and love.

Joan grew up in Hallstead, Pennsylvania, where she and her beloved twin sister Jean were born on July 27, 1934 to Edwin J. “Pete” Roosa and Ida Irene Van Auken Roosa. Following high school, Joan and Jean both went to work in Binghamton at Ansco (later GAF), which was where she met her late husband, Walter E. Jones, Jr.  Walt and Joan were married July 20, 1958 in Hallstead, and thereafter lived together in the Southern Tier, including on Saddlemire Road in the Town of Binghamton since 1964.

Joan was a dedicated mother, devoted member of Conklin Avenue First Baptist Church, and a contributor to her community, including through her service to nearby Brookside Elementary School as a cook, food service director, and PTA volunteer. A talented gardener, cook, canner, and baker, she also took pleasure feeding and watching the many birds that visited her deck, including Cardinals, hummingbirds, and especially Baltimore Orioles—despite her being a loyal follower of the New York Yankees.

Joan, Walt and their family enjoyed a rich life together. Highlights included: camping trips to New York State Parks; a Windjammer cruise; attending games and performances of their children and grandchildren; watching hot air balloons descend near their house; socializing with their church friends; walking with their dogs and grand dogs about the grounds of Brookside School; Yankees baseball; and road trips to see their children, grandchildren and friends in distant locations such as Florida, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, and Virginia.

Joan is survived by her three sons and their wives—Mark Walter Jones of Malvern, Pennsylvania; John Edward and Tonya Jones of Vestal, New York; and Alan Lee and Lisa Jones of Dunmore, Pennsylvania—as well as her friend and former daughter-in-law, Joyce Noe Jones of Colorado Springs, Colorado.  She is also the cherished grandmother of five young adult Joneses: Matthew, Allisa, Leah, Megan and Adam. In addition to her husband Walt, Joan is pre-deceased by her siblings and their spouses: twin sister Jean Roosa Cushman (Carlton), brother Willis Roosa (Bonnie), sister Leah Osterhout Wooster (Mack), and brother Laurence Osterhout (Sara). She is also pre-deceased by two brothers-in-law Lyle Henderson (Betty) and Robert Borne, whose wife Virginia Jones Borne survives her.

A gathering to honor Joan's life will take place at the DeMunn Funeral Home, 36 Conklin Ave, Binghamton, NY. Her family will welcome visitors there on Sunday, May 4, 4:00-6:00pm, and again on Monday, May 5 at 10:00am, after which Rev. Dr. Steven B. Chastain will lead a formal service. Interment will follow immediately at Vestal Hills Memorial Park.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be directed to a cause of your choice and/or by planting a tree and feeding your neighboring birds in Joan's honor.