Assistant Dean of Students Danielle Jones passed away Sunday in her parent’s home due to complications after surgery. She was 34.
Jones was born April 16, 1982 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Her family relocated to Green Bay and she graduated from Pulaski High School in 2000.
Jones graduated from Michigan Technological University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Scientific and Technical Communication. She also graduated from Central Missouri State in 2006 with a Master’s of Science in Student Personnel Administration.
After college, Jones worked at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania as Assistant Director of Residential Services for seven years before coming to UWO in 2013.
Interim Vice Chancellor Brandon Miller said there was a grieving gathering Monday to mourn the loss and that Jones’ impact was campus-wide.
Miller said Jones had an incredible talent for making people feel special through the use of handwritten notes.
“It was personalized, it uplifted you and you could tell she took great pride in making you feel better as a person through those notes,” Miller said.
Women’s Center Director Alicia Johnson said Jones co-advised the Social Justice Club and took alternative break trips, which included going to New York City with students to help organizations that worked with HIV and AIDS education.
Johnson said she contributed greatly to every space she was in.
“She made meetings enjoyable and she always came in with a smile, or was able to make us laugh,” Johnson said. “But she was also a very genuine person.”
Assistant Director for Student Involvement Missy Burgess said students saw Jones as an advocate.
“She was known for her commitment to always follow through on what she said she would do and pushing to make sure students’ rights were met,” Burgess said.
Johnson said in her first few days here at UWO, Jones was an instant friend.
“We could talk for days on end about social justice issues and [come] up with new ideas,” Johnson said. “We had talked about when she moved from Reeve Union to the Dean of Students [office], how we needed to still find a way to work together.”
Burgess said Jones taught group fitness classes on and off-campus.
“She truly believed that if you were going to work out, you should sweat,” Burgess said. “She often caught students off guard with just how tough her classes were.”
Johnson said if you’re lucky, there are a few people in life you become instant friends with.
“For me, that’s how it was when I met Danielle,” Johnson said. “Within the first couple of minutes I knew that we would be friends. I’ve only known her for eight months, but it feels so much longer. So in a short amount of time she was able to make a deep impact on my life.”
Jones is survived by her parents, Alan and Kathy Jones, of Green Bay; brother and sister-in-law, Ryan (Nikki) Jones, of Eau Claire; grandparents, Dean and Sue Jones of Jackson, Mo. and Geroid A. Lix of Jackson, Mo.; uncles, Mike (Debbie) Lix and Chris Lix; aunt, Dana (Patrick) Norris; Godparents, Tim and Barb Schwane; and many other dear relatives and friends, according to the obituary on the Lyndahl Funeral Home.
