Clifford M. "Cliff" Jones (64) of Houston, TX, formerly of Bourbon, IL

Clifford (Cliff) M. Jones, 64, of Houston, TX, formerly of Bourbon, IL, died on November 22, 2023.

Cliff was born January 13, 1959, the son of William C. and Jean (Kennedy) Jones. He was a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Champaign, IL and in recent years he belonged to St. Vincent de Paul Church in Houston, TX.

Cliff grew up on a grain farm in the tiny town of Bourbon which is thirty miles south of Champaign. He attended Chaminade College Preparatory in St Louis for high school where he was an outstanding athlete in football and basketball, he was a member of many Christian and social action groups, and he traveled to England for a special student interaction program. Subsequently he attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and played on the U of I football team as a kicker. A lasting memory to his friends and relatives was that immediately before each kick-off, he always held up a special hand signal for their benefit. Cliff was involved in the farming industry in several capacities over the next almost forty years. While farming, he also worked with several agricultural agencies. He was involved in an eclectic mix of activities; he served on the board of the U of I Varsity I Association, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus, he was a woodworking hobbyist, he liked to travel and he set foot in almost every state in the continental U.S., he worked in several roles at St. Vincent de Paul, and he was a youth coach at the Champaign Park District. In addition, he attended almost all the events for his daughter, Kassie, and son, Kyler, at St. Matthew Catholic School and The High School of St. Thomas More. He was an avid Illini fan, at all times being up to date on Illini news and attending 100’s of events over his lifetime. And being very social, he will always be remembered for hosting numerous parties and cook-outs for his friends and family.

Cliff is survived by two children, Kassie Jones of Austin, TX and Kyler Jones of Raleigh, NC; two sisters, Cindy (Jim) Eder of Effingham, IL and Christy Gartrell of Houston, TX; a brother, Chip Jones of Grayslake, IL; and four nieces and nephews; Will (Molly) Eder of Colorado Springs, CO, Keelin (Kevin) Schneider of Chicago, Michael Gartrell of Houston, and Daniel Gartrell of Houston.

He was preceded in death by his dad, William (“Bill”) C. Jones, mom, Jean Jones and one brother, Craig. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials in Cliff’s name be made to the American Cancer Society (Memorial Giving) at https://www.cancer.org/donate

A funeral service will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Houston, TX on Saturday, December 16th at 11 am. A private graveside service will be held in Bourbon, IL at a later date.