Nicholas Warner Jones, 75, died peacefully in his Richmond, Virginia home on Friday, December 18, 2020. He had suffered a stroke on November 22, 2020. Born December 10, 1945 to Marvel Eloise (Plows) and Wyford Dale Jones in Chicago, Illinois, Nick grew up on his family’s farm at Locust Curve, Delaware, Ohio.
Except for the years of higher education or military service, he lived his life in Delaware, until 2016 when he and Kris moved closer to family.
He was a life-long member of the First Presbyterian Church and had served as an elder and a trustee. As a boy, was in Boy Scout Troop 93, and raised a lamb named Patrick. He perfected the solo sport of one-handed brick-throwing which has yet to become an official Olympic sport. (It resembles shot-put, but utilizes the resources available to a solitary farm-child. Delaware native Andrew Fichter is the last known practitioner of the sport.) In high school, he was on the debate team that won the 1963 state championship.
His studied at the University of Virginia, where was a member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society and Phi Beta Kappa honorary fraternity. He graduated with a BA in government 1967.
Between 1967 and 1969 Nick earned a master’s degree in political science at the University of Michigan, then joined the US Army. He was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant on May 22, 1970. While at the U of M he also met Kristin Jones whom he married May 24th, 1970.
After his active military duty, Nick studied law at the University of Toledo and opened his own law practice on November 7, 1975, the day he was sworn into the Ohio State Bar. His law practice centered on bankruptcy and Chapter 13 protection for people in financial hardship. He believed in honesty, in second chances, and in giving people a fair shake.
In the community, he oversaw the concession stand at Hayes High School girls’ basketball games, benefiting the Hayes Academic Boosters for many years. In that calling he perfected the preparation of the all-beef frank. He was a judge for Odyssey of the Mind. Deeply committed to the Raymond B. Austin American Legion Post, he was post commander at least two times. He chaired the scholarship committee and helped select student representatives to Boys State. In the past he had been a member of the Elks Club, the noon Kiwanis Club, and the Central Ohio Hiking Club. His solo hobbies included riding his BMW motorcycle, fly fishing, orchard cultivation and model trains.
Nick was the mastermind behind the brown plastic bag “chocolate river” in the 1987 Delaware Community Theater production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and was the 1986 Charlevoix, Michigan lawn-chair surfing champion.
He is survived by his wife Kristin, his three children and their spouses, and five much-adored grandchildren: Alistair Jones and wife Sylvia Gale, (Isaiah Marvel, Julia Pearl and Helen Rose) of Richmond, Virginia; Evan Jones, and wife Jamie Katz, (Solomon Steven) of Austin, Texas; and Hilary (Jones) and husband Alex Foster (Konrad Nicholas) of Alexandria, Virginia. Also surviving are friends and international students who were part of the family — Fred Nocella, Yousuf Ali, Mainza Moono, Fernando Salles, and Jonas Rietz Volkmann.
An online gathering to celebrate and remember his life will occur Saturday, January 16th, 2021, at 11 a.m. EST. The invitation is at http://evite.me/5ZzzBaJG9H
Published in The Delaware Gazette from Dec. 23 to Dec. 24, 2020.
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