Frank N. Jones

Frank N. Jones passed away at his West Palm Beach home on March 1, 2026, at the age of 89. Consistent with his wishes, his body will be cremated. There will be no formal visitation or funeral ceremony. His family is gathering to privately celebrate and remember him on March 6 and 7.

Frank was a loving and supportive father and grandfather, and a beloved member of an extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. An exceptionally gifted and accomplished scientist, he was a mentor to many. He stood out as a free, inquisitive, and incisive thinker. His interests were many and full. He especially enjoyed travel, food and wine, golf before ailing joints failed him, and playing competitive bridge. He took particular joy in the accomplishments of loved ones including his son David, his daughter-in-law Marta, his grandchildren, other relatives, and many others who fell within his circle. Following an earlier divorce, for his last 19 years he was inseparable from the love of his life, Carole Worth. Together they shared worldwide travels, an active competitive bridge partnership with many tournament victories, and numerous adventures along with all of life’s joys and tribulations. Frank valued hard work, and his quiet determination kept him moving forward and engaged with life even as physical challenges arose in his later years. Luckily he never lost his sharp intellect.

A proud son of the Ozarks and Carthage, Missouri, Frank carried on the name of his grandfather, who co-founded a lumber business that was later run by his father, F.N. Jones,

Jr. Frank graduated from Carthage High School in 1954. He maintained lifelong friendships with classmates and others from his hometown. He discovered a passion for chemistry at Oberlin College, where he also played on a national championship bridge team and deepened his love for music and the performing arts. He graduated in 1958.

Frank went on to an illustrious career in chemistry, receiving a PhD from Duke University followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at MIT. His career was roughly split between industrial research for DuPont, Celanese, then Cargill, and then an academic career. He authored or co-authored more than 200 scientific publications and held more than 30 U.S. patents, and he was a co-author of the definitive textbook in his field, "Organic Coatings: Science and Technology," which has been published in four U.S. editions and published in translation in China. He was Professor and Chair of the prominent Department of Polymers and Coatings at North Dakota State University, and then a professor at Eastern Michigan University, where he directed the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center in Coatings. He was a 50-plus year member of the American Chemical Society, a frequent and valued speaker at conferences, and a recurring visiting professor at a university in Malaysia.

Practical applications of his work included better and less-polluting automotive paints, anticorrosive coatings used in food and industrial applications, coatings to maximize performance and durability of computer disc drives, and improved adhesives, even on the space shuttle. His research involved things poorly understood by his family, including film formation and polymer chemistry, alkyd resins and novel resin systems, and self-healing and antimicrobial coatings.

Frank wore his professional standing lightly. He declined to refer to himself as “Dr.” or “Professor,” and he rarely used the suffix III that attached to his name. He enjoyed meeting and interacting with people from all walks of life. An attentive listener, he was always eager to hear people’s stories and dreams, offering help when he could. Friends and family knew his sense of humor well, which he often sprinkled with homespun aphorisms and exclamations. He was known to term some folks “often wrong, seldom in doubt.”

A lifelong sports fan, Frank followed the Duke Blue Devils and Saint Louis Cardinals, often attending spring training games during his Florida years. His fandom took on operatic passion, with his distinctive baritone voice booming out in celebration or frustration.

Frank will be dearly missed by his survivors. These include his partner Carole Worth; his son David and family Marta Nelson and children Alec and Lian Jones; Carole’s children and family; cousins with whom he had an exceptional bond; and friends and mentees. Frank also is survived by his former wife Nancy Jones, David’s mother. Frank was predeceased by his parents, Frank Norton (“Bud”) Jones, Jr., and Sadie Bay (Neale) Jones, and by his beloved sister, Sara Compton.

Condolences (and greetings and reminiscences) may be directed to David Jones at [email protected]. Please no gifts or flowers. Tribute gifts may be directed to the Palm Beach County Food Bank, www.pbcfoodbank.org.