Obituary of Thomas E Jones Jr.

On Saturday, June 24, 2023, Thomas Edward Jones Jr. of Penfield, NY—beloved husband, father, grandfather, and firefighter—passed away suddenly at the age of 86. A proud lifetime resident of Penfield, he graduated from Penfield High School in 1954. Tom served our country in the U.S. Army (1960–1962) and experienced the trip of a lifetime when he travelled to Washington D.C. on the veteran’s Honor Flight in 2017. On April 4, 1964, he married Sue Poppoon and began the adventure of a lifetime, raising two sons and a fair amount of joyful mayhem as the fun-loving couple they were.

Professionally, Tom worked for the Monroe County Sheriff Road Patrol from 1960–1966. He owned and ran Goodland Hoffman tire and automotive business (1966–1985) and worked as a Monroe County Sheriff Deputy Supervisor from 1985 until his retirement in 1999. After retiring, he enjoyed long road trips driving part-time for Enterprise Rent-a-Car. 

Tom followed in his father’s footsteps volunteering for the Penfield Fire Company in 1957. He was Fire Chief from 1971–1973 and was appointed to the Fire Commission in 1973. He served the Penfield Fire Company for over 65 years. As Chairman of the Penfield Fire Commission from 1991–2005, he was the catalyst for two of the most important Fire District property modifications in history—the complete renovation and new addition to Fire Station #1 and the addition of Fire Station #3, including the cell tower. In 2007, after 34 years of service, Tom retired as the longest-serving Commissioner. In 2010, he was awarded Firefighter of the Year.

Throughout the years, Tom enjoyed golfing, fishing, camping with family and close friends, vacationing in Disney World, the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, and Alaska. He enjoyed countless Firemen’s Banquets, Independence Day Parades, playing cards, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Tom is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sue; his sons, Thomas “TJ” Edward III (Karen), and Timothy Scott (Tina), his grandchildren, Robert Thomas, Rebecca Mary, Brady Scott, and Tory Marie; his brother-in-law Stephen Poppoon (Nancy); and several close nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Sr. and Hazel (Ludwig), his sisters, Doris Becker (Harry), Lois Grosser (Norbert), and Margery Salmon (Robert), and his brother-in-law Michael Poppoon.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, June 30, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Penfield, NY. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to: Penfield Hope,  1771 Penfield Road, Penfield, NY 14526 (Tom’s childhood home) or the Penfield Fire Company. Visit https://jenningsnultonmattlefh.com/ for more details.