Memorial planned Thursday for BU professor who died
Event aims ‘to celebrate what he gave us all’
A memorial service will be held Thursday for the Boston University professor who was found dead below a dilapidated set of steel stairs near an MBTA station last week.
David Jones, 40, of Milton, died when he fell through a gap in a set of rusted-out stairs that have been closed for nearly two years near the JFK/UMass station in Dorchester.
The father of three children was an associate professor in Boston University’s Department of Health Law, Policy and Management, and the BU School of Public Health is planning the memorial service for Jones.
“We look forward to having the opportunity to share memories of David’s life — to celebrate what he gave us all at the memorial for David,” Jones’ family wrote to the BU School of Public Health community.
The virtual and in-person memorial service will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday in Hiebert Lounge and on Zoom.
“All members of the SPH Community, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni, are invited to join the family and friends of David Jones’s family and friends,” the School of Public Health said in a statement.
“We will share a multimedia tribute to David Jones and have an opportunity for all to be together to mourn and to celebrate his life,” the school added. “This event is intended for the family, friends, colleagues, students, collaborators, and the communities touched by Dr. David Jones.”
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is investigating Jones’ death. The state-controlled stairs have been closed since the start of 2020, and Massachusetts State Police have not specified how Jones was able to access the stairs.
A GoFundMe page for his family — “BUSPH GoFundMe for the SacutoJones Family” — has already raised more than $140,000.