Beloved Elgin teacher always had a smile on her face
When Kimball Middle School Principal Al Tamburrino walked around the Elgin school this week, he said the absence of one teacher was evident everywhere he turned, he said.
Sue Jones, who spent 12 years teaching pre-algebra and algebra at the school, died Tuesday from a rare form of uterine cancer. She was 52. From students crying because they wished they had had Jones as a teacher, to the large vinyl banners on which Kimball students and teachers wrote heart-rending messages, Jones’ influence was all around.
“She is leaving a wake in our building,” Tamburrino said. “She was a leader in our building and she was a leader in the math department. No matter the situation, she was always focused on our kids.”
After surviving breast cancer, Jones organized the school’s Kimball Kares Week, dedicated to cancer awareness and education. The weeklong event raised money for various cancer organizations and Kimball community members. Students and staffers participated in baseball games, sold T-shirts and raffle tickets. The assistant principal even sat in a dunk tank.
“She wanted to be able to teach kids about small things to reduce their risk,” said Kristen Rosenberg, Jones’ niece. “She always said it was all about education.”
No matter what she was doing, Jones always had a smile on her face, Rosenberg said.
“She was the life of the party,” she said. “She was the glue in the family that kept all of the crazy pieces together.”
Organizing events, especially family get-togethers, was Jones’ forte, said Heather Bayer, Jones’ eldest daughter. For more than 20 years, Jones planned a weeklong fishing trip for about 40 family members.
“Not many fish were caught,” Bayer said. “She didn’t fish. She was more into getting the family together to have fun. She was the go-to person in our family because she was always so positive and wanting to help.”
Bayer added that Jones also was a fierce competitor, turning friendly games of volleyball or pinochle into contests involving wagers. That spirit also shined through in her teaching.
Jones led the school’s math team to two championships in four years and had vowed to retain the title. Jones also coached the girls volleyball team, which won the district championship last season in her first season as coach.
This week, students and staff memorialized Jones by signing banners honoring their teacher. The family will display the decorated banners at Jones’ wake and funeral services.
Born in Elgin, Jones graduated from Elgin High School before attending Elgin Community College and National Louis University. She then went on to Olivet Nazarene University where she earned a master’s degree in education.
Jones is survived by her husband of 26 years, Brian Jones, four children and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on from 2 to 9 p.m. Friday in the Wait Ross Allanson Funeral and Cremation Services Chapel, 51 Center St., Elgin. Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday at the chapel. The burial will follow in Lakewood Memorial Park, Elgin.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10087.