Christina Anne Jones

Christina Jones of Rochester, New York, passed away at the age of 60 following a lengthy illness. She was preceded in death by her father, Duane "Bud" Jones. Chris is survived by her loving husband James Wolff; mother Carol Jones; sisters Susan Jones and Jennifer Burnett (Dallas Miller); nephews Joshua Burnett and Jacob Burnett and niece Molly Miller; several cousins, including dear cousins Laura Ruberto and James Ruberto (Kelsey Franklin); sisters-in-law Elizabeth (Andrew) Village, Nancy (Mark) Miller, Janet Trader, Susan (Eric) Nickels, and brother-in-law John Wolff. She will be missed by countless dear friends and her beloved dogs, Buddy and Delilah.
Chris' early years were spent with her parents and sisters in Chili where she attended Florence Brasser Elementary and Gates-Chili High School and was active in the Parkminster Presbyterian Church. She attended Potsdam University and later the Rochester Institute of Technology where she received degrees in fine arts and photography. Chris then returned to Rochester where she went on to work in several photo labs as a color printer and lab technician.
Chris and Jim first met in 1990 and began several business ventures together, including professional photography and real estate development. Together they restored several homes back to their original splendor. In 1994 Chris and Jim became the stewards of Historic Houseparts in Rochester, a business specializing in architectural salvage and restoration. Her love for research, history and website development merged seamlessly in the endeavor, as she devoted the next 30 years to expanding the business while preserving architecture and historical design. An avid collector of antique catalogs and vintage hardware and lighting, she was a well-respected source of information who displayed a photographic memory of all details pertaining to her field. Chris was a proud member of the Antique Doorknob Collectors of America and was involved in various research projects with many groups across the country. She especially enjoyed supplying her research skills and expertise to historical fiction and mystery author Susan Reiss and cherished the friendship that grew from that collaboration.
Additionally, Chris spent many years doing genealogical research into the various branches of her family, often being limited only by a lack of available records. She traced several of her family lines in Europe as far back as the 1500s, lovingly collecting photographs, newspaper clippings and memorabilia to preserve her family's history.
Chris loved the South Wedge neighborhood, living and working there most of her adult life. She helped to found the Business Association of the South Wedge Area (BASWA) and served as its Chair. She was an active leader in the South Wedge Area Neighborhood Council (SWANC) and was instrumental in publishing the South Wedge Quarterly, a magazine that celebrated the vibrancy of her beloved neighborhood. Chris was generous with her time and happy to donate her talents to projects aiming to beautify, secure funding for, and promote the community and businesses of the South Wedge.
Chris was an avid gardener and found immense pleasure sitting in her backyard oasis on sunny days and starry nights with Jim, puppies and good friends. She was the organizer of family gatherings, planning long weekends at the lake and annual Thanksgiving dinners because she valued time spent with family. Chris will be remembered for her love of music, penchant for cheese, keen trivia knowledge, and her warm heart.
The family wishes to extend special thanks to the staff at The Wilmot Cancer Center and the University of Rochester for the great care and kind comfort extended to Chris as she bravely and privately fought her battle.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Chris' name to The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery, where she loved taking long walks in every season.