Iloilo Marguerite Jones, aged 78, passed away unexpectedly on February 13, 2025, following extensive heart surgery. A brilliant intellectual with a deep passion for knowledge, Iloilo led a life marked by courage, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to her values.
A resident of Helena, Montana since the mid-1990s, Ilo was known for her integrity, sociable nature, and her ability to offer support in times of need. Her friends and colleagues admired her for her creativity, tenacity, and intellectual vigor, as she consistently sought and thrived in challenges that pushed the boundaries of her knowledge.
In her early life, Ilo was a fierce advocate for civil rights, proudly serving as a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in Little Rock, Arkansas during the 1960s. Her dedication to justice and equality was evident throughout her life. In the 1970s, she earned a B.A. in Management, with a minor in Sociology, from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
While living in Illinois, Ilo made significant contributions to both academia and business. She taught graduate classes at Northwestern University and revitalized the university’s archaeology program and its Kampsville site. At the same time, she ran a successful management consulting business, where she worked with a diverse range of clients, earning respect for her expertise and professionalism.
In Helena, Ilo became an influential figure as the Executive Director of the Fully Informed Jury Association. During her tenure, she was recognized with a $60,000 award for her exceptional writing on the topic of freedom in America. Even in her later years, Ilo remained deeply passionate about archaeology. On a birding trip in eastern Montana six years ago, she rediscovered her love for the field when she uncovered evidence of a post-glacial Native American archaeological site. She energetically hiked, uncovered, studied, and photographed complex petroform sites in the rural parts of northeast Montana until her passing, leaving behind a significant contribution to the study of Native American history.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ilo’s hobbies were vast and varied. She loved cooking, hiking, birding, creating art, and pottery, to name just a few. Ilo always made time for children—whether advocating for better education or sharing her many skills with the next generation, her nurturing spirit and dedication to teaching made a lasting impact on those who crossed her path.
Iloilo is survived by her two daughters, Angela Fleming of Kansas and Juliette Jones of New York, two grandchildren, three sisters, one brother, and numerous nieces and nephews. Her legacy of intellectual curiosity, social justice, compassion, and dedication to learning will continue to inspire all who knew her.
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