Jonathan Edwards Emerson

Jonathan Edwards Emerson, 84 of Farmington died on Friday, March 10, 2023. He was born in New York City on March 18, 1938, the son of the late Willard Ingham and Ethel (Mole) Emerson.

Jon grew up in Greens Farm, Connecticut and later in Ithaca, New York. He attended Fairfield Country Day School and graduated from Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, Massachusetts. He attended Cornell University where he served as a football manager and was a member of Delta Phi fraternity and ROTC. He graduated from Cornell in June 1961 with a degree in Economics and a long term commitment to Cornell football. He was a boisterous fan, convinced that he could cheer the team across the goal line.

Jon served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS John R. Pierce based in Norfolk, VA. During his service time he participated in the Cuban Missile Blockade. While in the navy, he developed a life long habit of keeping everything ship-shape.

In April 1967, he married Jane Ann Colby in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They lived in Royal Oak and Grosse Point Woods, Michigan; Poughkeepsie and North Salem, New York and Princeton, New Jersey before settling in Farmington in 1983. Jon’s career was in computer sales and management at IBM, Digital Equipment Corp., and Hewlett Packard. He retired in May 2006.

Jon was a devoted husband who regularly brought flowers home “just because.”  He was an enthusiastic skier and could be heard on the slopes calling “follow me” which was not always a good idea. An avid sailor, he enjoyed sailing and cruising the New England coast. He was a member of the Hartford Power Squadron and taught boater safety courses for several years. His navigation skills improved from his Navy days when he sighted his ship smack-dab in the center of Italy. Jon enjoyed traveling with friends and family, especially if boats were involved or if he could practice his French.

Jon will be remembered for his enthusiasm, his humor, his kindness and his spot-on imitation of Donald Duck.

In addition to his late parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Willard Ingham Emerson, Jr, and his sisters Ann Adams Emerson and Barbara Harwood Emerson. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jane Colby Emerson.

At Jon’s request, there will be no funeral or memorial service. Burial will be held in Pennsylvania at a later date.