Memorial service held for former Sen. Wendell Jones

One of Wendell Jones' daughters, Janell Chandler, said her dad often had the same response if anybody asked how he was doing.

“‘If I was any happier I'd be delirious,'” she recalled him saying throughout his accomplished life. “My dad was just someone people wanted to be around because his upbeat nature was contagious.”

In keeping with that spirit, the laughs far outnumbered the tears Wednesday night at a memorial service for the former Palatine mayor and state Senator.

Jones died Oct. 25 in Florida of complications from Hodgkin's disease. He was 73.

Several state and local officials joined more than 100 other mourners gathered at the Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home in Palatine to remember Jones as an eternal optimist, a doting husband and father, a lover of Cubs statistics and the person with the quickest wit of anyone in Springfield.

“He was a good, kind man,” said former state Rep. Suzie Bassi, who shared a district office with Jones. “He loved his family and absolutely adored his grandkids.”

Jones first was appointed to the 27th state Senate seat in 1998 when Peter Fitzgerald moved to the U.S. Senate. The Republican served for a decade until retiring and moving to the Fort Myers area.

Sen. Matt Murphy recalled that he was a precinct captain who became hooked on politics after Jones won a “nailbiter” in the fall 2000 election. Murphy said his friend and mentor served with character and graciously showed him Springfield when he succeeded Jones.

“Springfield, as we all know, right now could use a few more like Wendell Jones,” Murphy said. “His community is better for his having been a part of it.”

Jones' commitment to supporting victims of domestic violence also was evident during the memorial service.

His district office aide, Rita Wiley, remembered how appalled Jones was when he heard a victim's story of abuse only to learn how little he could do to help.

So he spent time at a shelter, a perpetrator's group, the courthouse and then formed the Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence, which exists to this day. Jones also played a key role securing funding to build a safe house for the Palatine-based WINGS domestic violence agency.

“How amazing and how courageous that he spoke out on an issue that most people ignored,” Wiley said, adding that the alliance is considering establishing an award in Jones' name honoring other male advocates.

Outside of the political realm, Jones was a therapist for Palatine Township Elementary District 15 and later director of special education. He worked as assistant superintendent in Cook County for special education and formed the Wenco promotional products company, among other ventures.

He served as Palatine trustee from 1967 to 1973, followed by a four-year term as mayor. He didn't seek a second term to spend more time with family.

Daughter Julie Healy wrote that Jones was grateful to spend his final days surrounded by his wife of 51 years, Jane, and their three children. And in typical fashion, he kept them laughing until the end with “corny” jokes including one about his chemotherapy treatment.

“He said, ‘I guess you can refer to me as “chemo-sabe”,'” she said.

Internment will be held privately at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery in Palatine.