Obituary of Kenneth Jones

Kenneth P. Jones, 85, lifelong resident of the Niagara region, died on Thursday, October 4, 2012, at his Lewiston residence due to complications of congestive heart failure and diabetes. He was born in Pittston, PA, on April 8, 1927, the son of Harry and Hazel Jones, and grew up in Niagara Falls. He attended Niagara Falls High School, then joined the United States Navy in 1944 and received training as a radioman. He retired in 1965, while stationed at Glenview Naval Air Station in Illinois. During his years in the Navy, he was a member of Operation High Jump which involved travel to the South Pole aboard the U.S.S. Olympus, and he also served aboard a Navy destroyer that sailed to the Philippines after World War II. Further, he was on duty around the clock during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Mr. Jones worked at Bell Aerospace from 1966 to 1975 as a technical editor, then for over 20 years at NRD on Grand Island, as a quality control technician, retiring in 1998. He enjoyed visiting with friends in Lewiston, seeing family and traveling. He traveled to Alaska and, during that vacation, Mt. Redoubt erupted covering Anchorage in clouds of ash, but creating crystal-clear views of Mt. McKinley during the next day's trip to Denali State Park. He also traveled to Ireland and Hawaii, and more recently spent summer vacations visiting areas in New York State such as Cooperstown, the Finger Lakes and Chautauqua. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Lois Jones, and six children, Paula Jones of Niagara Falls, Kim Jones of Salt Lake City, UT, Kevin Jones of Dallas, TX, Laura (Kerry) Jones Achilli of Lewiston, Eileen (Felipe) Jones Guttierrez of Oakland, CA, and Patrick Jones aka Nathen Gabriel also of Oakland, CA. He has one grandson, Stephen M. Achilli. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Belasco, a niece Mary Beth Belasco, and a nephew Michael "Mickey" Belasco, all of Niagara Falls, as well as cousins in the Avoca, Pennsylvania area. Mr. Jones chose to donate his body to the University of Buffalo Medical School. On Monday, October 8, 2012, there will be a visitation and memorial at HARDISON FUNERAL HOME, N. Fourth & Ridge Sts., Lewiston, from 5 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Niagara Hospice, 4675 Sunset Dr., Lockport, NY 14094 or to Lewiston Volunteer Fire Co. #1 Ambulance Fund, 145 N. 6th St. P.O. Box 748, Lewiston, NY 14092 in gratitude for their kind services to Mr. Jones during his final illness