Cynthia Jones

December 4, 1932 - October 12, 2020 On Monday, October 12, 2020 at 1:47PM, Cynthia Cronkhite Jones (Bagga) died, after a difficult few years, her body worn down from a well lived life. Her journey ended in her apartment on Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA, surrounded by her family. The end, when it arrived, was calm, peaceful and full of grace, which she had in abundance. She was 87 years old, having been born on December 4,1932 in Pasadena, California. Her parents were Gordon Fellows Cronkhite and Elizabeth Jennison Cronkhite. As a young child, her family lived in what was then called the "Bindon House" in San Gabriel. Her favorite childhood memory was riding the "Red Car" trolley into Los Angeles with Nana, whom she loved dearly. When WWII came, the family moved closer to town, first to a house on Hill Avenue, and then Holladay Road. Summers were spent in Oceanside at St. Malo Beach. She attended Polytechnic School from pre-school to 9th grade. She went to Westover School in Connecticut for 10th grade, missed her horse, and talked her mother into returning to Westridge School for 11th and 12th grade. For college she returned to the east coast to attend Briarcliff College, where she completed an Associate Degree in Applied Science. On December 18, 1952 she married Richard W. Jones, after he proposed to her on the pier in Oceanside, California. How to describe their journey together? A favorite quote of hers by Simone Signoret perhaps gives insight: "It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together through the years. That's what makes a marriage last - more than passion or sex." Her greatest joy in life were her children, Dudley, Dede and Michael. Home was California Terrace, Pasadena or St. Malo Beach, Oceanside. The highlight of every summer at St. Malo was the arrival of her sister Ann Dudley, with husband Stan Goldblatt and their children. An exclamation of "Let the games begin!" started August and ended with "this was the best summer ever, a banner year!". Happiness was whenever the family gathered together, for holidays, the summer or setting off on a travel adventure for many wonderful destinations around the world. She was a champion of social justice and peace, and derided in one book as a "limousine liberal", a title which she wore as a badge of honor. She was inspired by her heroes, Rev. Bill Rankin and his wife Sally, and Rev. George Regas. Over the years they started the Foothill Free Clinic, worked for farmworker rights in the Central Vally, protested the Vietnam War and traveled to Malawi, Africa to support the work of the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance, to name a few of their projects. Other interests included creating with her Apple Mac computer, photography and genealogy. Her husband, Richard W. Jones, and her sisters, Alison Keith and Betsy Morphy, died previously. Carrying on without her are her three children: Michael G. Jones and his wife, Joyce R. Shimizu, Georgina W. Smith and former son-in-law, Halsey H. Smith and Cynthia Dudley Thacher. Other surviving family members are her 7 grandchildren: Maxwell H.W. Shimizu Jones, Cynthia C. Clements and her husband Miles Clements, Sarah S. Lanni and her husband Patrick Lanni, Samuel N.G. Shimizu Jones, Peter H. Smith, Stephanie E. Thacher, Will Thatcher and his wife Kim and Trip Smith; and four great grandchildren: Baker Clements, Peter Clements , Hank Lanni and Finn Lanni. And while the list of nieces, nephews other family members and friends whom she adored goes on, she had a special place in her heart for nephews Chris Morphy and Packy Jones, and friends Eugenia (Henni) Cortez and Erna Ethridge. Due to the pandemic, no party to celebrate her life is planned until it is safe to do so.