In Memoriam

May 13, 2025 (Volume 48, Number 17)

Constance and Curtis Jones are seated together on a sofa; he wears a GVSU football sweatshirt

Retired faculty Constance and Curtis Jones are pictured. Curtis died in March at age 86.

Retired faculty member
Curtis Jones, professor emeritus of sociology, died March 7, 2025. He was 86.

Jones joined Grand Valley's faculty in 1967 and was the first Black faculty member hired. He earned a doctorate in sociology from Michigan State University, with a focus on family dynamics in marginalized communities.

Jones's daughter is Catherine Jones-Rikkers, associate professor of management. His wife, Constance Jones, retired in 2001 as an associate professor emerita of English. 

A celebration of life is planned for May 22, 5-8 p.m., at the Cook-DeWitt Center on the Allendale Campus.

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• View archived obituaries here.

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In Memoriam

This article was last edited on May 8, 2025 at 11:44 a.m.

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