Christopher Robert Jones

1951 - 2025

Christopher Robert Jones

May 12, 1951 - September 27, 2025

Salt Lake City, UT-Christopher Robert Jones, MD, PhD

Christopher Robert Jones passed away on Saturday, September 27, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah at the age of 74 of complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Chris was born on May 12, 1951, in Nashville, Tennessee to Ann Rogers Wilcox Jones and Robert Holmes Jones, MD and was the eldest of six children.

He received his undergraduate degree in biology at the University of Colorado where he met the love of his life, Kirtly Parker. They were married on September 5, 1981, and welcomed their son, and only child, a few years later in 1984. They were lovingly and happily married until the end of his life.

Chris received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in zoology at the University of Maine where he studied the life cycles of single-celled marine organisms. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree at Harvard University and completed his residency in pediatric neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Utah.

Chris was a deeply curious scientist and thoughtful clinician and ran the University of Utah Sleep Wake Center for over two decades. His curiosity about human biorhythms lead to the discovery, by him and his colleagues, of a number of genes that control sleep cycles in humans.

His passion for science and medicine was only surpassed by his passion for the health of our little blue planet. Chris led a life of sustainable practices, first modeled by his parents. His unwavering commitment was evident from the first Earth Day in 1970. He was a dedicated bicycle commuter, even in the worst weather. He hiked extensively through Utah and near his home in Emigration Canyon and would always come home from walks on streets, roads, or trails with small and large bits of refuse left behind by careless travelers. The planet is a cleaner place because Chris walked upon it.

Chris was a caring and gentle clinician, a patient and generous teacher and mentor, and a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He was an avid runner, hiker, and bicyclist. He firmly believed in his mother's conviction that it is better to be outside than it is to be inside. He was a role model for the stewardship of our planet. He never drove a car if he could walk or ride a bike. His little home in Emigration Canyon, Utah created more electrons than it used. He was a vegetarian, consumed little, and wasted nothing. He quietly walked the talk; he led by example.

He is survived by his wife, Kirtly, his son, Breck (Hillary), and granddaughter Charlotte as well as his siblings (Peter, Carolyn, Diane, Steve, and Jim).

A private memorial service will be held for friends and family in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the near future and an interment of his ashes will be held at the Friendship Cemetery in Richfield, Maine.

In memory of Chris, take a walk and pick up what should not be on the street, road, or trail. In lieu of flowers, you may honor his memory by donating to the Lakes Environmental Association, the Environment Defense Fund, or the Nature Conservancy of Utah for preservation of the Great Salt Lake.