ELIZABETH (JANE) JONES

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ELIZABETH (JANE) JONES

April 26, 1940 - July 26, 2026

It is with sadness that we announce Elizabeth Jane Jones (née Cheslock) passed away at age 86. Jane was beloved wife of Barry Jones; mother to Jeffrey (Wendy Holland), Douglas (Marina Jones), and Cheryl Irvine (Keith Irvine); and sister to Andrew Cheslock (Carol Cheslock).

Jane was born in Winnipeg, the second of four siblings, and attended Lord Selkirk High School. In her teenage years she worked in the corner store her parents ran in the Elmwood neighbourhood. She attended the School of Home Economics at the University of Manitoba.

She and Barry married in 1959, and they raised their children in Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Over the years, they travelled extensively in Canada, the United States, and Europe, and enjoyed summers at Grand Beach, Manitoba.

Jane had a passion for volunteerism and community building, and advocated for women to have active roles in decision making on issues affecting them and their families. In the mid-1970s, she served as president of the Winnipeg YWCA. In that role, she fought for adequate funding for what was then the city's only shelter for women escaping domestic violence, Osborne House. At the time, she took the provincial government to task for paying lip service to the problem of insufficient resources for the facility.

She later worked in sales at Silverwood Dairies. After several years, Jane and Barry toured British Columbia to scout out a retirement destination. They settled in Radium Hot Springs, where they enjoyed the small-town mountain lifestyle, with days of hiking, golf, and fun with friends.

Jane quickly found her place in the community. In 2002, she took on the role of director of the Radium Hot Springs Public Library, which was then housed in little more than a cubbyhole in the centre of town. An avid reader, she dedicated herself to the library for 16 years, keeping the shelves in order, modernizing its systems, coordinating volunteers, and arranging book drives. She oversaw the library's move to a larger space in a shopping plaza, then to its eventual home in the beautiful Radium Hot Springs Centre.

As librarian, Jane was a beloved presence, creating a welcoming space for people of all ages to meet for good book recommendations and great conversation.

An article in the Columbia Valley Pioneer newspaper about her retirement from that role described her as sassy, and on that her family and friends agree. Jane had a great sense of humour, a flair for sarcasm, and a warm heart. She was also a gifted seamstress.

Jane was grandmother to Nathen, Zachary, Mariel, Leanne, and Carly; and great-grandmother to Grayson.

She is predeceased by her brothers, Russell "Jerry" Cheslock and Dennis Cheslock.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff at the memory unit at Chartwell Eau Claire Care Residence in Calgary for the dedicated care they provided in Mom's last year.

A ceremony will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Radium Hot Springs Public Library. https://radium. bc.libraries.coop/library-information/support-the-library/donations/

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 08, 2026