Lorella Margaret Jones was born on February 22, 1943, in Toronto to an astronomer and industrial physicist. She grew up with her parents, Donald A. Jones and Florence Shirley Patterson Jones of Urbana, and a sister Irene Jones of Livermore, California. Aside from her interest in physics, Jones enjoyed hobbies such as gardening at her garden in Meadowbrook Park, south of Urbana, and kayaking. She grew many vegetables at her garden and gave them out amongst her students and colleagues. She would also spend a summer month on an island in Lake Vermillion every year. Jones was very much a nature enthusiast along with being a physicist.