Theresa Marie Jones

On the morning of September 24, 2023, Theresa Marie Jones passed away suddenly at her home in Milwaukie, in the comforting embrace of her husband, Mark.

Theresa was born on May 23, 1962, in Denver, Colorado as the youngest of ten children. She is preceded in death by her father, Louis Hall and beloved mother, Jeanette Reisdorf. Though she was the youngest of ten, Theresa had a presence that refused to be overlooked or ignored. Theresa was described by her siblings as the rock and cornerstone of her family. If her older sisters had a nightmare growing up, Theresa was the one who made extra room in her bed. As adults, Theresa was the sibling who painstakingly maintained a spreadsheet of contact information for the hundreds of siblings, nieces, nephews, spouses, cousins, grandchildren, in-laws, siblings-of-in-laws, and everyone else she considered family. She was overflowing with love for her family, and it brought her nothing but joy to share and expand those connections.

In 1997, Theresa moved from Denver to Milwaukie, Oregon with her two sons by her first marriage, Matt and Andy. Theresa believed full-heartedly that she was put on this earth to be a mother and she did absolutely everything in her life for the sake of her two boys. It was here in Oregon where Theresa and her boys found their true home amongst the trees and sandy beaches, and where she found the love of her life in Mark Jones. Theresa and Mark wed on September 4, 1999, and Theresa happily expanded the ocean of her heart to include Mark’s daughter Chelsea and the rest of his family.

For the previous 26 years, Theresa worked in Portland, Oregon as the Manager of Executive Services for Providence Health Systems. In this role, Theresa found herself acting as the cornerstone for an entirely different kind of family and she never hesitated to be that rock. Her professionalism, warmth, and willingness to go above and beyond for even the simplest tasks led to her becoming an invaluable member of the Providence family. She was a key participant and organizer of everything from Oregon Community Ministry Board meetings to Leadership Institutes and webinars.

In her free time, Theresa’s creativity came bursting out of her through art projects and crafts. No medium was off-limits, and Theresa often challenged herself with new styles and techniques. Nearly every wall and surface of her home is covered with pictures she took or painted herself, glass mosaics she fired in a kiln, quilts she sewed, or rocks she cut and polished. One of her greatest joys was in the act of creating art as a gift for someone she loved. Theresa also loved nature and spent weekends walking the beach in her hunt for agates or working in her rose garden with Mark and the dogs.

So much more could be said about this thoughtful, generous, creative, and compassionate woman. Theresa had such a strong spirit, and she was so full of life and love that her loss is incomprehensible to all who knew her. The impact she had and the number of lives she touched can only be measured by the memories we share and hold in our hearts.

Theresa is survived by her husband, Mark; sons, Andy and Matt (Marisa); daughter, Chelsea (Derek); grandchildren, Hudson, Carter, Kambelle and Jones; siblings, Mike, Pam, Pat, John, Dave, Tom, Steve, Peggy and Liz; and everyone else who was lucky enough to feel the warmth of her love.