Obituary of Thomas Jones

Thomas Jones obituary

 

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Thomas E. Jones. He died peacefully and comfortably at age 88 of complications of Covid-19 and dementia on November 18, 2022, in Ashland Oregon.

 

He was born on May 29, 1934, in New York City, to Marguerite and Earl Jones. His father died suddenly when he was four, so his mother moved him and his older sister Peggy to Milwaukee Wisconsin to be closer to her twin sister. As a single mother, times were hard, but Tom thrived in his favorite sports of basketball and golf and graduated from Shorewood High School and then from the University of Wisconsin. He was soon drafted and spent 2 years in the Army, based in Germany most of the time.

 

After an honorable discharge from the military, Tom moved to San Jose California where he soon met and married Natalia C. Ruiz. At the time of his death, Tom and Natalie had been married for 61 years. A masters degree at Santa Clara University and the birth of Bryan in 1962 and Kevin in 1964 soon followed, as did a teaching position at Southern Oregon College in 1965. The young family moved to Ashland and have been residents ever since. The birth of their daughter Laura was celebrated in 1966. Tom retired from Southern Oregon University as a tenured professor after 30+ years in the Business Division.

 

The Jones family’s association with Ashland and SOU was deep as both Laura and Bryan earned bachelor degrees from SOU and live(d) in the Rouge Valley. The Jones house on Roca Street has been the family residence since the mid 1960s. Middle son Kevin matriculated from University of Portland and currently lives in Spokane Washington.

 

Tom was a wonderful father with a goofy sense of humor. His children had no doubt that his first priority was their health and development. He was a lifetime athlete and sports fan, taking up tennis in the 1970s and supporting the Ashland Grizzlies and Southern Oregon Raiders as a devoted fan. He was a member of the Unitarian Fellowship and loved walking through Lithia Park and sitting on the family bench along the creek. Many dogs and cats passed through the Jones house throughout the years, and Dad had a funny way of talking to them and “showing his love”.

 

Tom is proceeded in death by his daughter Laura and sister Peggy, but is survived by his wife Natalie, sons Bryan and Kevin, niece Lynn McBee, and grandchildren Josh Brown and Ethan and Shaun Jones. The family has decided not to have a service, but wishes to acknowledge and thank everyone for their love, concern and kindness during this time of bereavement.

 

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