Vicki and Bob with two of Vicki’s border collies, her beloved companions along with the shelties. Taken in July 2018, while the Joneses were living in Ashland, Oregon.
Victoria “Vicki” Doyle-Jones, beloved UCLA EPSS member and Geology Department employee, passed away on October 29th, 2022. She was a generous woman of many talents and passions, innately skilled at artistic and written pursuits, and carrying a boundless love for animals, natural science, and education. After graduating from UCLA, Vicki worked in UCLA’s Geology Dept. and E&SS for over two decades, serving the university in science education and administration from 1968 to 1993. In this position, she expertly deployed her wide array of skills, creating biological and scientific illustrations, performing technical writing and publishing tasks, and organizing everything masterfully all the while.
During their time at UCLA, Vicki and her husband Bob, the microprobe technician, influenced generations of graduate students; they played a major role in making the students feel part of the E&SS community, and gave them a strong esprit de corps. To this day, alumni fondly remember the Joneses’ social get-togethers held in their Topanga home, a wonderful part in building that priceless E&SS family atmosphere.
In 1993, Vicki and Bob moved to the Palo Alto area, and she provided the same service–with the same finesse and fiery love–in Stanford’s School of Earth Sciences, along with various other Stanford departments. She also served as UCLA’s Program Representative for the White Mountain Research Station in the Eastern Sierras. After retiring from Stanford, Vicki continued to cultivate young people’s excitement for the scientific world by working for and volunteering with the Santa Clara Valley Science Fair. Forever a caring soul, she also volunteered with the Northern California Sheltie Rescue, helping animals in need by being a “rescuer” and foster mom as needed.
Between UCLA, Stanford, and her many other pursuits, Vicki touched the lives of countless people and animals, uplifting them and helping them flourish. Her widespread impact will be remembered with love, warmth, and gratitude, in a ripple effect that only spreads further with time.
Obituary written with contributions from Elizabeth Caplun and Steve Lipshie