Ronald Douglas Jones

We lost one of the best, February 12, 2024, in a tragic ski accident. Ronald Douglas Jones was born in Randolph, Utah on February 4^th, 1939, to Milton Reay and Erma Gheen Jones. He was the fourth child of five with two brothers and two sisters. He spent most of his youth in Evanston, Wyoming until his father bought a farm in Dayton Idaho in l955. Ron attended West Side High in Dayton, Idaho where he was well liked, being elected as president of his class twice and elected as an officer every year. Because of his strong leadership and academic strengths, he was chosen to represent the high school at Boys State in Boise, Idaho. He loved all sports and was named the All-Around Athlete his senior year. It was here that he met the love of his life, Kerma Neuenswander. They dated all through high school and into college.

 Ron went to Utah State University for a short time before he was called on a mission to Northern California. This was the first of four missions. Later, he and Kerma served a service mission in Salt Lake City. Then, a few years later, they were called on a second service mission as supervisors of the Member Location department. In 2008, they were called as Leadership and Member Support missionaries to the Manchester, New Hampshire mission to serve in Lincoln, Maine. They loved the people and even though they weren’t proselyting missionaries, they were pleased to baptize nine people in an area where there had been no baptisms in eight years. Ron loved the gospel and was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. He was ordained an Elder, Seventy, and High Priest while serving a lifetime in many leadership and teaching positions.

 A few months after returning from his mission to Northern California, Ron and Kerma were married and sealed in the Logan, Utah Temple on December 15, 1961, and enjoyed 63 years together. Ron graduated from Utah State University in Mechanical Engineering. They had difficulty having children and were planning to adopt when they found out Kerma was expecting their first child, Janilee, who was born in 1968. They were blessed with a second child, Jerimy, in 1976. These children were the love of their lives. They are also blessed with six grandchildren and soon to be five great grandchildren.

 Ron worked as a quality assurance, mechanical, project and aerospace engineer at Hill Air Force Base, Boeing, and Defense Contract Administrative Services with duties of accepting mechanical features of aircraft, missile and space systems through the development, design, functional testing, and initial operational capability and production. He worked as a project engineer on prime weapon systems. His duties consisted of investigating and analyzing systems, accidents, and malfunctions, providing R and D for optimum engineering design, and providing management advice and control of contract effort.

 Ron’s greatest joy was to help others. He adored his growing family and performed more sermons through service, hard work, and sacrifice than with words. He loved Bridge and became a Life Master. Ron always enjoyed playing games with friends and family. He loved all sports and excelled in them, particularly mountain biking, hiking, softball, and especially alpine skiing. He supported both of his children by dedicating time to ski racing, tuning skis and traveling to races. He had a love for this beautiful world and was an avid outdoorsman enjoying camping, fishing, and floating rivers. He participated in the Huntsman World Senior Games for over 23 years and earned over fifty gold, silver, and bronze medals. With over a hundred thousand worldwide participants, Ron was one of seven inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame in 2022.

 He is survived by his wife, Kerma, daughter Janilee Bishop (Eric), son Jerimy Jones (Emily); granddaughters Hailey Reutzel (Austin), Cassity Sparks (Jordan), Abigail Rosander (Colin), Mackenzie Carlson (Jeremy); grandsons River Jerimy Jones and Hayden Daren Jones; soon to be five great-grandchildren, numerous nephews, and nieces along with three brothers-in-law, Lavor (Barbara) Neuenswander, Val (Benda) Neuenswander and Doyle (Karen) Neuenswander. He is preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and two sisters: Reay Boyd Jones (Reva), William Jones (Susan), Eyvonne Warner Osborn (Willie, Robert), Jeaneen Page (Ken).

 A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, February 20^th  at 11am in the Foxhill Chapel, 200 So. Eagle Ridge Drive in North Salt Lake with a viewing prior to the service from 9:30 to 10:30 am. There will also be a viewing at Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary, 727 North 400 East, Bountiful, UT., the night before from 6 to 8pm. Interment at Memorial Estates, 1640 East Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah.

 The service will be live-streamed and may be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of Ron’s obituary page. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.lindquistmortuary.com 

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