Obituary of Ana E. Graef-Jones

Ana Elizabeth Graef-Jones, 52, of Sterling, Virginia, passed away on November 1, 2021, at her parent’s home in Herndon, Virginia, after a long battle against metastatic breast cancer.

Funeral mass will be held on November 12, 2021, at 1:00pm at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Herndon, VA. Visitation will take place on November 11, 2021, at Adams-Green Funeral Home from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.

Ana Elizabeth, better known as Ana Liz, was born on March 13, 1969, in Tucson, Arizona to Lewis and Ana Maria Graef. She attended Herndon High School, class of 1987. Due to her impressive intelligence and strong academic performance during her time at Herndon High, Ana excelled in all subjects, specifically Spanish. She received the highest possible award for Accomplishment in Spanish studies. She went on to work successfully for 23 years as a Research Assistant for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Ana loved volunteering at her children’s school, St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Herndon, Virginia. She met so many beloved friends she would grow to see as family through her time as a CCD teacher, a classroom mom, and being involved with both the Boy Scouts with Alex, and the Girl Scouts with Lizzie. She spent many early mornings and late nights “ubering” her kids to their activities. From Lizzie’s early morning swim practices to Alex’s guitar concerts, she could always be seen front row cheering them on, crying tears of pride and joy. Ana’s biggest pride in life was being a mother, and she devoted her entire life to providing her kids with nothing but the best. She cherished the everyday moments of talking with her children, sharing their hopes and passions, and encouraging them to always dream big. Ana especially loved playing Disney songs in the car with her kids, singing along to every song even though she never knew the words, which always made them laugh uncontrollably. From car rides to school to family day trips to the Shenandoah National Park, Ana was always up for a good drive.

Before becoming a mother, Ana was the oldest of three children, and took much pride in being the big sister to Myrna Carr and John Graef. The three siblings had a wonderful childhood, spending their summers in Ensenada, Mexico, visiting their beloved tios, tias, primos and primas. The three siblings went on to grow up and have kids of their own, who they would take on many adventures together, including Cox Farms visits during Halloween, and Frying Pan Park to see animals and go on hayrides. Ana lived with joy and loved having fun with her precious family, including vacations to the happiest place on earth (Disneyland) to wait excitedly with her kids in line for photos with Ariel for Lizzie or a ride on Space Mountain with Alex. Ana loved being an aunt for the children of her sister Myrna and her brother-in-law Bill, and her brother John and her sister-in-law Tiffany. Her favorite moments were when her siblings and all the kids and their Abuelita and Abuelo (Ana Maria and Lewis) could come together for family dinners. With a bright mind and an undying thirst for knowledge, Ana was an avid reader. She could always suggest a new book to anyone in need, and her bookshelves were always overflowing. Ana loved to share her favorite collections with her friends as quickly as she finished the newest title, usually accompanied by an in-depth review.

Ana had an amazing sense of humor; her bright smile and warm laughter filled every room she entered. She was more than happy to craft with anyone at any time and loved helping others as part of her truly selfless nature. She was always slow to judge, allowing for her to make friends with anyone and everyone she met. Almost as much as she loved her precious kids, Ana adored her parents. She could always be found at their house eating dinner with them almost every night, sharing her daily stories and updating them about upcoming events for the kids. She especially enjoyed phone calls with her pleasant mother, who she called at least twice a day, every day. It is more than fitting that she was home with her beloved parents at the time of her passing.

Ana is survived by her daughter Elizabeth Jones, son Alex Jones, step-son Jon Jones and husband Jodie Jones of Sterling, Virginia.  She is also survived by her parents Ana Maria and Lewis Graef of Herndon, Virginia; brother John Graef and wife Tiffany (children: Isabella, Jack & Grant) of Centreville, Virginia; sister Myrna Carr and husband Bill (nephew: Trey Carr) of Sterling, Virginia; Mother in-law Helen Edwards of Georgia and father in-law Glen Jones of Alabama, well as a large extended family in Ensenada Mexico, Sweden and Spain.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to care for her children through their “Go Fund Me” account.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lizzie-alex-support-fund?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1