Obituary of Carl R. Jones

Carl Roderick Jones, 94, of Berkley Dr., passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at the Waterville Residential Care Center.  He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather whose presence shall be deeply missed.

A lifelong Central New Yorker, Carl was born on October 11, 1930, in Deansboro, a son of DeAlton T. and Lena B. (Walliman) Jones. He grew up in Waterville, where he and his brother could often be found tromping through the Nine Mile Swamp, trapping for muskrats and mink to earn some pocket change.

After graduating from Waterville Central School in 1950, Carl followed his brother into the Air Force. In his role as a camera specialist, he nurtured his two greatest passions: photography and aviation. He and some buddies even bought a Aeronca plane to fly on the weekends.

In 1954, Carl retired from the service and began working at New York Telephone. He also became the first person in his family to go to college, attending night school at Utica College (now Utica University) and graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1961.

In 1956, Carl began his career as a components engineer at General Electric Aerospace. Soon after, he married Jeanne Marie Nolan and bought a little yellow house in Clinton – the same one Carl would live in for the rest of his life.

The couple welcomed the first of three children in 1959. Carl loved taking his kids on camping trips everywhere from the Adirondacks to Montreal to Washington, D.C. Carl was also involved in his son’s Boy Scout Troop; he especially relished their winter trips to Cedarlands Scout Reservation, where he was always awed by the number of stars in the sky.

Carl will be remembered as stoic, generous, and loyal. He was a good talker and good listener, often enjoying long conversations over coffee with his son and brother. He was a mechanically minded aviation enthusiast who enjoyed attending air shows, reading aircraft magazines, and watching aircraft repair television shows. He was an active grandfather who faithfully attended every skating event, dance recital, football game, school concert and graduation. Carl was a longtime, active parishioner of St. Mary's church for over 60 years.

His greatest role, however, was dedicated husband. Carl remained by Jeanne’s side for 55 years, caring for her during frequent health issues. After he retired from GE in 1990, the pair spent much of their time taking road trips around the state. Now that Carl has passed, we hope they are once again together: driving down a country road, talking the day away, with all the time in the world to stop at an ice cream shop or concert in the park.

Carl was predeceased by his parents; his wife; his sister, Frances “Fran” Ziegler; and his brothers, William “Bill” Jones and Edwin “Ed” Jones.

He leaves his children, Richard Jones of Watervliet, Catherine and Donald Watlington of Baldwinsville, Karen and Benjamin Stuttard of Oriskany Falls; grandchildren, Samuel, Eben and Ella Stuttard, and Daniel Watlington.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 1:00 pm from St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Marvin St., Clinton, NY 13323.

Interment with Military honors will follow in St. Mary’s Parish Cemetery.

Friends are invited and may call on Thursday from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm at the R.P. Heintz Funeral Home, 10 East Park Row, Clinton, NY 13323.

To sign the Book of Memories online, go to: rpheintzfsi.com

Contributions in honor of Carl may be made to Utica University. Giving Form can be found at www.utica.edu