Obituary of Ted Jones

The deaths of Theodore Harold “Ted” Jones and his wife, Anita Joanne (Boone) Jones, long-time residents of Fredericton, occurred at their home on September 9, 2023.

Born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, on March 11, 1939, Ted was the son of the late Harold and Lois (Malloy) Jones. He is survived by one son, Adam Welsey Jones (and his life partner, Amber Richards) of Moncton, and by his beloved grandson, Daniel Allan Jones (and his mother, Natalie), of Fredericton. Also surviving are his two sisters-in-law, Beverly Colpitts (Charles) of Ottawa and their children, Jeffrey Colpitts (Rongs) and Laura Burns (Craig), Marilyn Noble (Bruce) of Fredericton and their children, Edward Noble (Peggy) and Robert Noble (and his friend Kitty Reid); three nephews, and three first-cousins. He was predeceased by his sister Victoria Frances Jones, two aunts, two uncles, and his four grandparents.

Ted was raised in McAdam, New Brunswick, where he graduated from McAdam High School in 1957. He went to the Provincial Teachers’ College in Fredericton and then to the University of New Brunswick, from where he received his B.A. and M.B.A. degrees, his thesis for the latter being a biography of the American author Willa Cather. His teaching career began at Stanley Regional High School for one year, and then Albert Street Junior High School in Fredericton for five years. He taught in New Brunswick schools for 35 years, retiring from the English Department at Fredericton High School in 1993.

Over the years he enjoyed historical research and non-fiction writing. His publications include a biography of Canadian author H.A. Cody (All the Days of His Life, published by the New Brunswick Museum), Bryan Priestman (a biographical sketch, published by UNB), Both Sides of the Wire (a two-volume history of the Fredericton Internment Camp, published by New Ireland Press, of which volume one was made into a documentary film for television); numerous articles for The Atlantic Advocate and The New Brunswick Magazine, various newspapers, and educational publications.

Since retirement, he served as a director on three local museum boards: York-Sunbury, School Days, and the Internment Camp. For three years in the mid-1990’s, he was the editor and a regular contributor to The Officers’ Quarterly, the official publication of the York-Sunbury Historical Society in Fredericton, subsequently receiving from the New Brunswick Museums Association a significant achievement award for writing in the heritage field.

For six years (2000-2005), he wrote a regular column for The Daily Gleaner, entitled “Fredericton Flashback” (155 articles). In the fall of 2003, Nimbus Publishing of Halifax published Fredericton Flashback, a book collection of 50 of his articles from The Gleaner column When the Formac Publishing Company republished the H.A. Cody novel Under Sealed Orders in 2014, Ted wrote the introduction.

In the fall of 2002, Nimbus Publishing of Halifax released Fredericton and Its People, a book he co-authored with his wife. In the fall of 2007, Nimbus published Historic Fredericton North, also co-authored with his wife, Anita. As a result of these two projects, Ted and Anita won the Fredericton Heritage Trust award for 2006 for research and writing. Also in the fall of 2007, Ted was chosen to receive the Heritage Canada Foundation’s 2007 Journalism Prize, which was awarded in a special ceremony at historic Government House in Edmonton, Alberta, and presented by Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong.

At the time of his death, Ted was working on a definitive history of the Provincial Normal School (PNS) of New Brunswick. His vast collection of PNS files, along with all his other research files, photographs, and manuscripts, will be presented to the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB).

Arrangements have been entrusted to McAdam’s Funeral Home, 160 York Street. Visitation for Ted and Anita will take place on Monday, September 18^th, 2023, from 7-9pm, and again on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, from 12-2pm, which will be followed by a funeral service at 2pm at the J.A. McAdam Memorial Chapel, with Rev. Mary Tingley officiating. A reception will take place after the funeral in the adjoining room. Ted and Anita will be interred on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 in a private family ceremony at the Fredericton Rural Cemetery Extension. For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences are gratefully accepted at www.mcadamsfh.com.