Julie Jones

Julie was born December 8, 1957, in Macon, Georgia, to Julian Clyde Wilkes, Sr., and Ruth Nutting Wilkes. Julie was the middle child, between her sister Theresa and her brother J. Clyde, Jr.

Julie was the valedictorian of her high school class at River North Academy in Macon. She earned a scholarship to Wesleyan College in Macon and attended Wesleyan for her freshman year. After the freshman year, she transferred to Georgia Southern University. She continued her college career at Georgia State University, and later at DeAnza College in San Jose California, and she finished her degree in Anthropology, with a specialty in Archaeology, at San Jose State University in San Jose. She finished her college degree in 2005 at the age of 48, displaying her academic talents and her determination to achieve her academic goal.

Julie met her husband-to-be on a blind date during college, while visiting Atlanta in 1976. They loved from a distance for some time and finally married in 1978. They had two sons, Matthew Bradley Jones and Stephen Merritt Jones, born in 1980 and 1984, respectively. The family lived for many years in the Atlanta area. Eventually they moved to California in 1999. They resided in San Jose for the next two decades. Both her sons achieved advanced degrees in law and chemistry, respectively, and she was immensely proud. When her younger son Stephen’s career led him to Worcester, MA, and he eventually had a son of his own, Julie insisted that she and John needed to be part of that boy’s life, and swapped coasts yet again to be near little Ian. She cherished the moniker “Grammy” as much as any title or accolade in her whole life.

Julie and John had dogs throughout most of their life (and sometimes cats), and her last furry friend, Buddy, now serves as Ian’s noble guardian.

Those who knew Julie well knew her to be quick witted, compassionate, loyal; an excellent holiday baker and decorator, a talented photographer, and a master of the sewing machine, especially making wonderful, creative, beautiful quilts.

People who played Spades with Julie always dreaded being the player to her left. Her intellect and her gift for strategy made her a formidable player.

Sadly Julie left us on Christmas night, 2025, after a long fight with heart disease in the ICU in Boston. She was surrounded by her family, and is now survived by her loving husband John, her sons Matthew and Stephen, daughter-in-law Roxana, grandson Ian (3) and her brother Clyde, her sister Theresa, and their families..

A memorial gathering will be held on St. Simons Island, GA, on Sunday, February 22. Please contact John Jones for additional infomation at 408-348-1650.