Dr. Antonia J. Jones

Retired professor emerita Dr. Antonia J. Jones passed away on Dec. 23, 2010, at her home in St. Augustine, Fla., after a brief illness.

Antonia retired from the faculty of the University of Cardiff, Wales, UK, in 2007 and moved to St. Augustine to be with her beloved life partner, Barbara Quinn. She had a renowned career as a mathematician, number theorist and computer scientist, and authored more than 70 published academic papers and books on game theory, chaos theory, neural learning, artificial intelligence and computer programming, among many other topics. Antonia was even listed in the credits of the movie "Rosinante" in 1986 as an electronic data processing consultant.

During her career, she worked for the University of Nottingham, Yale University, Colorado University, University of London, University of Chicago, New Mexico State University, Cardiff University (from which she retired), the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, Royal Holloway College and Brunel University. She lectured worldwide. She was perhaps most widely known for a scientific research breakthrough, the Gamma Test.

Antonia was born in 1943 at Queen Charlotte"s Hospital, London, the first child of Harold and Kathleen Jones. Her parents had no higher education but were determined that Antonia and her sister, Jenny, would go to college.

Despite losing the use of her legs at age 10, she proved to be unstoppable. She graduated from Reading University with first-class honors and went on to receive a doctorate in number theory at the University of Cambridge.

Antonia is most fondly remembered by her friends and family as a patient, kind and thoughtful person whose home was always open to stray animals and to humans in need of a meal, a listening ear and non-judgmental advice. This made her home chaotic during those times when "a wheel comes off," as she put it, but she always demonstrated patience and kindness toward others and maintained her dignity to the very end of life.

She is survived by her life partner, Barbara Quinn; her sister, Jennifer Christine Carr; and nephews, Robert Carr and Simon Carr.

A Celebration of Life is planned from 1-9 p.m. Saturday, May 14, 2011, at the St. Augustine Beach Pier Pavilion. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to Goliath & BeBe"s World or to Saving Animals from Euthanasia (S.A.F.E.). In Antonia"s memory, her sister is raising funds for Stoke Mandeville Hospital Spinal Unit (UK), where Antonia was a patient. For more information about this, go to www.justgiving.com/Jennifer-Carrl.

St. Johns Family Funeral Home, St. Augustine, assisted the family.