(1934-2015)
Ron passed away quietly in his sleep on Saturday, September 26th, 2015, at the age of 81, after a long stay at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Comox, BC. Ron is survived by his children, Shelly (Ron), Ron Jr., Kim (Glenn), and Angela (Stewart), his seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren, sisters Pat and Marge, brother Ken, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Mary (1936-2008), daughter Jackie (1955-1991), brothers Charlie, Danny, and Burt, and sisters Margaret, Peggy and Jean.
Ron was born in Ashern, Manitoba; the family moved to Glassville, New Brunswick when he was ten years old. After joining the armed forces at the age of 16, Ron found himself based at RCAF Comox, where the young flight engineer met his wife Mary. They were married in 1954. As their family grew, they moved to a succession of air force bases until 1965, when Ron left the air force to become a bush pilot on the BC coast. Ron continued his career as an airline pilot, with BC Airlines, PWA, and Canadian Airlines, until 1989, when Captain Jones retired and took up water bombing with Buffalo Airways in the north.
Ron lived a rich and adventurous life, serving a year in Egypt in ‘57, flying the Herc, the 737, the B-25, and many other aircraft, including his own, surviving a few heroic near-misses, travelling much of the globe with his wife Mary, enjoying many RV holidays and boating adventures with their friends, and many many family get-togethers with his loved ones. He will be forever remembered and greatly missed.
Celebration of Life: October 3, 2:00 p.m. at Comox Valley Funeral Home, 1101 Ryan Rd., Courtenay.