Carol Ann Jones

Carol Ann Jones, 74, of Colchester, CT, passed away peacefully on December 26, 2023 after a long battle with dementia. She was born on July 5, 1949, in Boston, MA., to Edward Benner and Nancy Benner (Flaherty). Carol worked as a dedicated employee of the United States Post Office. She began her USPS career in Houston, Texas, before being transferred in 1991 to Tyler, Texas. She retired in 2013 after 35 years of service.

Even though our mom was born in Boston, MA and spent her childhood and early adult years there, she considered herself a true Texan. Her accent was definitely a mix of the two – “pahk the cah in Havahd Yahd” and Texas twang such as insurance (INsurance) and pen (pin). She planted roots in Whitehouse, Texas, where she developed life-long friendships with her neighbors and other community residents. One special friendship she had was with Irma Bolles, who was more like family! They shared a deep love of dogs and enjoyed taking their pups walking everyday around the neighborhood and school house. When Irma died after a courageous battle with cancer, my mom was devastated, but she ended up adopting Irma’s pride and joy, her miniature schnauzer, Buttons!

Carol had a deep love for her dogs! When our mom purchased her first house, Travis decided she needed a dog. My mom had never had one and was a bit leery at first! Max, a very handsome schnauzer, joined her household and she quickly fell in love. When she first got Max, she would give him a bath everyday in the sink. Travis tried to tell her she couldn’t do that, that he would develop skin issues. She told Travis to “zip it”, that she didn’t want him to stink. She finally relented when the vet basically told her the same. Mom, because she was still working, decided Max needed a friend to keep him company and so Roscoe, another schnauzer, joined him soon after. Her dogs meant the world to her; they gave her unconditional love and were her companions. She was devastated after they died, and soon after, Casey Jones and Buttons joined the family. Mom had a ranking system and would often remind us of it, especially when she would move one of us up or down in rank. It’s been a running joke in our family that the dogs and grandkids ranked higher than us kids! Me, Charlene, and Travis usually had to duke it out for who was ranked in 3rd, 4th or 5th place!

Carol’s grandsons, Austin Stefano, Cayleb, Colton and Cameron Jones, were her pride and joy! Austin and Cayleb had a very special bond with her as they were the first two born and were able to spend quality time with her before she became ill.

Carol was known for her outgoing and fun-loving personality. She was the life of the party and enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. Our mom loved music and loved to dance! Her vinyl record collection was awesome – she had albums from an eclectic range of musicians and bands. Mom’s favorite artist was Prince, and she would bust out in dance and start singing whenever his songs were played! Music was very important in connecting with our mom during her dementia journey and we’d play her favorites when we visited with her! I loved seeing the twinkle in her eye and the sense of familiarity she had when she’d hear certain songs!

One of her favorite pastimes was her weekly outings to the movies and watching TV; she particularly loved crime shows and the news. Her all-time favorite TV show was "24," and she would eagerly discuss each episode with her son, Travis and daughter, Charlene. She also enjoyed all of the shows in the CSI and Law and Order franchises. Mom also loved watching football! Surprisingly, her favorite NFL team wasn’t the Dallas Cowboys or the New England Patriots! She loved the San Francisco 49ers and her two all time favorite players were Joe Montana and Jerry Rice! She did think though, that Tom Brady was very handsome and wished he had stayed with Bridget Moynahan, mostly because she liked the TV show Blue Bloods. She loved to harass Travis about his love of the Cowboys! She’d talk trash and tell him they stunk and the only bowl they would go to is the toilet bowl! She totally drove him nuts with that!

In 2017, after Carol was diagnosed with dementia, we relocated her to Connecticut so that Charlene and Dale could provide a safe, loving home for her. She lived with them for three years before her care became too difficult. She spent the last three years living in Apple Rehab in Colchester, CT, where the staff took amazing care of her! Our mom was one of the strongest women I have ever met; she experienced many setbacks and traumas throughout her life and was strong, fierce, and resilient.

Carol is survived by her loving daughters, Tracy Stefano and her husband Joe Stefano of Rocky Hill, CT (Granddaughters Amanda & Marisa), Charlene Graziano and her partner Dale Crocker of East Hartford, CT, and her son, Travis Jones, and his wife, Kim Jones, of Whitehouse, Texas (Grandsons Cayleb, Colton & Cameron). She is also survived by her sister in-law, Candy Campise, of Whitehouse, TX, two great grandsons, Daniel and Nickolas of Connecticut, and several cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Edward Benner, and her mother, Nancy Flaherty and her beloved grandson, Austin Stefano.

A memorial service to celebrate Carol's life will be held at D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, located at 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield, CT 06109, on Friday, January 19, 2024, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Doggy Wish (www.thedoggywish.org) or The Dementia Society (www.dementiasociety.org).

Please join us in honoring Carol's memory and sharing stories of her remarkable life.