Don(ald) Eugene Jones passed away on Wednesday, June 16th, 2021 following a nearly year long battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and complications due to diabetes and renal failure. He was 77.
Don was born May 8, 1944 in Yakima, WA to Herbert & Wilma Jones, the youngest of four children. He grew up in rural Ahtanum on a small family farm and graduated from West Valley High School in 1962. He married Jerilyn Neff in December of 1963 (div. 1988). They were blessed with three children. In 1966 they moved to Seattle where Don worked for Boeing.
In 1968 Don began his electrical apprenticeship working for VECA Electric, ultimately retiring from Cochran Electric in 2002. He worked at many historic locations over the course of his career, including Columbia Tower and Microsoft, managing multiple job sites in both downtown Seattle and Portland. Don married Gail Kemper in 1997.
In his retirement years, Don and Gail moved to Plain, WA. Don kept busy with remodeling and landscaping projects, and enjoyed riding around to visit neighbors on his ATV. He was an active member of Plain Community Church, where he established many close friendships. He loved food and dining out, snowmobiling, river rafting, fly fishing and traveling. He was a loyal Seattle sports fan, and he and Gail attended Spring Training each year in Arizona. They were privileged to attend the 2014 Super Bowl in New Jersey and cheered the Seahawks on to victory, as well as traveling to Cleveland in 2019 for the MLB Home Run Derby and All-Star game.
Don was always a people person, and if the saying, “he never met a stranger“ ever applied to anyone, it was him! Everyone was his best friend, including the clerk at the local deli he frequented, as well as the many doctors and nurses who cared for him at his weekly visits.
Don’s cancer diagnosis and declining health increasingly required him to live a sedentary lifestyle in his last year of life, something previously unknown to such an active, hard-working man. One of the greatest blessings of slowing down was returning to his Christian roots, recommitting his life to Christ, and discovering a newfound love of Bible reading and study.
In the end, the most important thing in life to this people-loving man, was desiring that all his “best friends” go to Heaven with him! He didn’t want to leave this life without the assurance that all his loved ones would someday join him there. Will you? If you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, or are not sure where you will spend eternity, go to https://realhopenw.org for more info.
Don is survived by his wife Gail (Edmonds), first wife, Jerilyn Jones (Lynnwood), daughter, Julie Metz (Larry), (Edmonds), son, Jason Jones, (Brier), daughter, Josi Jones (Chris), (Edmonds), six grandchildren: Jacob Metz, Jaclyn Metz, Jackson Metz, Ellis Jones (Makayla), Esther Jones, and Evie Jones, many nieces and nephews, brother, Terry Jones, and sisters, Shirley Jolly and Carol Pierce (all of Yakima).
Credit: Source link
