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Darla Jones

Darla Jones
Provided Photo
Darla Jones

December 26, 1935 – January 13, 2021

On Wednesday January 13th, Darla Jones, long time Truckee and Squaw local, mother and grandmother, passed away at the age of 85. Darla was born in Oklahoma on 12/26/1935, and briefly lived there before re-locating to California during the Dustbowl. Her family moved to a Hooverville in So. California, before settling in Watsonville. She and her brother, James Leathers, grew up there, attending and graduating from Watsonville High. She went on to attend Stanford University as a history major. She married William Jones, a high school sweetheart and fellow classmate in 1954. They moved to Yosemite National Park in 1962. They loved being a part of a small community that lived in the park and she worked for Ansel Adams at his gallery. While there, she learned to ski at the Historic Badger Pass ski area and began her career in ski instruction. She raised two children, Debra Plant and Russ Jones, and in 1971they moved to Squaw Valley. She continued ski instructing and was the Children’s Ski School Supervisor, working for the legendary Hans Standteiner and Stan Tomlinson. Her interests included tennis, interior decorating, reading, and collecting Indian jewelry and woven baskets.

After her children were grown she moved back to Watsonville to care for her mother and created a career in retail management at Fords Department Store. She worked there for many years and was loved by many for her hard and consistent work. Upon retirement she moved back to Truckee to live next door to her son and enjoyed 12 more years in the mountains. She loved getting dolled up for community events (Senior Bingo was her favorite), enjoying a glass of white wine made by her family (Truckee River Winery) and tending to her garden and house plants.

She is survived by her daughter Debra Plant (Graeme) and her son Russ Jones (Joan), her grandchildren Katy Carroll Jones (Willy), Meredith Holsworth (Tim) and Riley Plant. The family would like to thank the Sierra Senior Services, Meals on Wheels, Dial a Ride and all the staff at the ECC for their incredible care and love for Grandma Darla through the years. A big thank you to the doctors and nurses at Tahoe Forest Hospital for their tireless work in ensuring her last days on this Earth were without pain and filled with love.

*Fight the Virus! Get the vaccine.*


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