Curtis S. Jones Sr.

Curtis S. Jones was born on October 27, 1949 in Walterboro, SC to William and Perneice Jones. He was the first born of 11 children and graduated in 1968, from Haines City High School in Florida. At the age of 19, Curtis joined the United States Army, and was responsible for feeding thousands of soldiers, who were fighting in Vietnam.

Upon his return, he spent some time travelling and eventually found a home in Rochester, NY. His children now joke about how when they were kids, Curtis said they were moving up to New York, allowing them to assume it was New York City they were headed to. Once in Rochester, they quickly realized it wasn’t what they expected. Curtis and his family settled in to life in Rochester and he began a long career at Xerox Corporation and eventually retired in 2009 at the age of 59.

Curtis had a tremendous love for card games, hosting many of them over the years. He also enjoyed spending time at Finger Lakes Casino and OTB. He had a love for sports and a vast knowledge of sports trivia. Curtis enjoyed taking road trips to Florida every year to catch up with family and friends.

He leaves behind to cherish his memory, his children, Steven (Felicia) Haslam, Teresa (Lawrence) Spence, Shawanda (Ronnie) Joyce, Karmalus (Carolyn) Herrington, Jacqueline (Glenroy) Blackman, Timothy (Shalonda) Jones, Curtis (Sara) Jones Jr. and Tina Jones; a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren; siblings Vivian Kemp, Karen O’Neil, Victoria (Moses) Ford, Anthony (Brandy) Jones and a large extended family and many friends.

Curtis is predeceased by his loving parents William Jones Sr. and Perneice Jones; siblings William Jones Jr., Paulette Cummings, Melvin Jones, Michael Jones, Debra Coley and Phillip Jones.

Friends and family are invited to call at James R. Gray Funeral Home, 1530 Buffalo Road on Monday, August 4, 2025 from 11AM – 1 PM. A Service Celebrating Curtis’s Life will begin at 1 PM. Immediately following the Service, the family invites you to continue Celebrating at Gates Memorial Park Shelter, located off Spencerport Rd on Karl Fuchs Blvd. (Behind Planet Fitness and St. Theodore’s Church)

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Curtis S. Jones Sr., please visit our floral store.