John C. Jones

The Life of John Charles Jones John Charles Jones was born on July 12, 1930, in Huntington, West Virginia. The first child of Charles Golden and Nellie Myrtle Jones, he was soon followed by two sisters, Patty and Bessie Sue. Several years later, his youngest sister, Karen Dell, joined the family. Three of John's four grandparents had come to America seeking greater opportunity – a grandmother from Scotland, and grandfathers from Wales and Germany. This rich cultural heritage shaped his view of life and the world around him. John's early years were spent in Huntington, in a close-knit neighborhood near the levees of the Ohio River. His closest playmates were the Adams kids who lived next door. You'll hear more about one of them later in his story. The Jones family moved to Point Pleasant when John was in his early teens, and his parents owned and operated the Ohio Valley Bus Company. John's high school years were marked by excellence in three areas – playing football, making girls swoon, and raising hell. He joined the National Guard, where his pride in this great nation and his passion for patriotism were evident to all. John joined the United States Air Force in 1950, over his formidable mother's most strenuous objections. He served from 1950 to 1958, and spent several years in Korea as a Staff Sergeant. His travels while in the service opened his eyes to a bigger world than he had ever imagined, and when he was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base, he fell in love with Colorado and declared that he would live here when he left the service. As you'll see, when John declared something, it generally came to pass. While stationed in Great Falls, Montana in 1955, John went ice-skating with some friends one frigid February night. Lacing his skates in the warming hut, he looked up to see a beautiful woman walking in. He turned to his friends and declared, ""That's the woman I'm going to marry."" The woman, however, wasn't interested in his offer to help her lace her skates. She became even less interested when he introduced himself as John Jones, since she didn't believe that was his real name. She refused to skate with him, even after repeated requests. So John skated to the center of the pond and lay down on the ice. After some time, the woman came by and asked if he was injured. He told her he was going to lie there until she told him her name and agreed to go out with him, no matter how long it took. Her name was Patricia Witherspoon, and they were married in May. John and Pat welcomed a daughter, Marcia, in 1958. As it turned out, Pat was from Denver, and sure enough, John moved to Colorado. Daughter Linda was born in 1961, and the family, along with Pat's mom, settled into a little house in south Denver. John worked as a manufacturing and purchasing professional for most of his career, but work was never his passion. People were. He was fascinated by everyone, and was a legendary teller of stories and jokes. Although he had few close friends, everybody thought of ""Johnny"" as their pal. Well, actually, most women thought of him a little differently. To tell the truth, he was a Chick Magnet. Women were drawn to him, perhaps because he had the gift of making each one feel that she was the most beautiful creature on the planet. John simply adored women – the way they moved, the way they talked, the way they saw the world. He was that rarest of species: a Romantic Man. For his wife, Pat, this created considerable stress, and they separated in 1974. However, they remained close friends for the rest of their lives. John later married Sonya Baurer, but sadly that marriage also ended. In 1997, John awoke in terrible pain one night, and drove himself to the hospital. Doctors quickly determined that his aorta had ruptured, and gave him virtually no chance for survival. Before they wheeled him in to surgery, John declared to his daughters that he'd see them soon. A few hours later, he came out of anesthesia, asked for a comb to fix his hair, and began his Second Life. John's daughter Marcia was a single mom with a little girl, Lily Golden, whom he adored. He moved in with Marcia to recuperate, and the arrangement worked so well that he never moved out. John took care of Lily, managed things around the house, and generally made himself indispensable. He developed a very close relationship with Luis Rexach, Marcia's friend and business partner, and always called him ""My Son"" with the greatest pride and affection. John was filled with joy and enthusiasm about living to the fullest, and declared that he was going to track down his childhood sweetheart, the girl next door in Huntington – Wanda Adams. He found her living near Point Pleasant, and learned that her husband had recently passed away. They were married a few months later, and Wanda came to Colorado. John and Wanda had eleven wonderful years together, driving across the country each year to visit friends and family ""back East"". John was always extremely close to his family, giving his daughters a clan of beloved relatives that they treasure. Between visits to them and to Wanda's wonderful family, they traveled for most of each summer. They were great companions, enjoying simple things like having a hot dog at Sam's Club while they watched people shopping. They loved spending time with John's daughters and three granddaughters, as Linda and her husband Jay Vincent welcomed Ava and Zoë to the world. But in 2009, Wanda suffered a stroke that robbed her of her memory and made it necessary for her to move to an assisted living facility. John went to be with Wanda every single day, rain or shine, for more than four years. He was her caregiver, bathing her, dressing her, and feeding her, even though she had no idea who he was. His tenderness, and his devotion to her, were precious and inspiring to behold. Wanda passed away on April 20, 2013. John mourned her deeply, but was determined to carry on. He had recently met a wonderful woman named Marilyn Allen, and they had so much in common that it was almost unbelievable. He looked forward to spending time with her and exploring life together. But it was not to be. On May 2, John was in great pain and Marcia took him to Sky Ridge Medical Center. The Sky Ridge team, and John, fought with everything they had to see him through another crisis, but that mighty battle was lost. John graduated to his next Great Adventure on May 14, 2013. John's memory is carried in the hearts of a rich and diverse group of family and friends, including his daughters and their families; his honorary ""son"", Luis Rexach; his sisters, Bessie Sue and Karen Dell, and their families; the family of his sister Patty, who passed away in 2002; his son- and daughter-in-law, Tom and Sheri Davis and their family; his dear friend John Timon; and his lovely Marilyn. We celebrate this man who was bigger than life, referred to by family and friends as a Force of Nature. His life was rich and full of laughter, and he gave the gift of his open-hearted love to us all. Shine on, John. Shine on. A Memorial Celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 4:30pm at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 5303 East County Line Road (one block west of South Holly Street), Centennial, Colorado 80122. A Reception will follow. Rather than sending flowers, John asked that you make a donation in his name to one of these charities: Wounded Warrior Project www.woundedwarriorproject.com Go to the One-Time Donation page or call (877) 958-2233, or Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies - Golden Angel Fund, 15350 W 72nd Ave., Arvada, CO 80007. Phone (303) 279-2400, or website http://goldenrescue.com/donate/golden-angel-fund/ Please share your memories of John and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook below.