We are all profoundly saddened by the sudden, unexpected passing of our dear friend, colleague, mentor, leader, community advocate, husband, father, and grandfather, Cary D. Jones. Cary was one of the firm’s preeminent real estate partners and his legacy lives on in innumerable ways.
Cary’s roots in the legal communities of Utah, Arizona, California, and elsewhere run deep. His astute creative thinking, expert drafting, strong moral compass, and keen art for bringing people together to achieve common goals serve as a model for all of us who live and work in his memory. But Cary’s life was not just about doing deals and completing complicated projects. He was all about genuinely caring for the people around him, whether they were clients, colleagues, young lawyers whom he loved to mentor, the many law students he taught, the many board members of community organizations with whom he served, his personal friends with whom he enjoyed a good meal, a fun day fishing or golfing, and always lively conversation, and his family, who knew him as a great cook, attentive caregiver, and sage. He found humor in almost everything, and his infectious laugh filled every room he occupied.
Cary was born in Park City, but raised in Salt Lake City. He attended Olympus High School, worked for a while as a land surveyor for his father’s survey company, and attended the University of Utah, where he developed a love of history. He graduated Order of the Coif from the S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he also served on the editorial board of the law review. Cary practiced law at Brown & Bain in Phoenix and at Ray, Quinney & Nebeker in Salt Lake City. He was a founding partner of Hansen, Jones, Maycock and Leta, and joined Snell and Wilmer as a partner in 1992, where he devoted the largest part of his prominent legal career. Cary also served for a time as the Vice President of Real Estate for American Stores and, after rejoining Snell & Wilmer, established the firm’s Los Angeles office, where he served as its managing partner for many years. In 2023, Cary returned to Snell & Wilmer’s Salt Lake office, where he was actively engaged in several major real estate projects at the time of his passing.
A lifelong Ute football fan, Cary was deeply connected to the University of Utah, to the S.J. Quinney College of Law, and to Rowland Hall. He gave generously of his time to many causes. Cary built his career around the central principal of love—love of family, love of clients, love of colleagues, and love of the law. He leaves a beautiful family: his loving wife of 30 years, Kristin Hopfenbeck; his devoted daughters, Molly Cooper and Megan Alfa Jones Shiotani (Dru); and his beloved granddaughter (and his biggest fan), Mori Cooper Shiotani. He also is survived by his brothers, Dane (Susan) and Tad (Michelle), his aunt Kathy Jones-Price (Harry) and a close family of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Our hearts go out to all of them.
All the people that Cary touched during his life feel the vacuum of his loss, but all also are uplifted and inspired by the wisdom, integrity, and joyfulness that the memory of his life leaves behind.
Representative Real Estate Cases