Obituary
R.K. Kennon Jones, Sr., 87, passed away on October 21, 2022 from complications due to Covid.
Ken attended Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA and was a 1957 graduate of Yale University, earning both a B.A. in Economics and a bum knee from his years as a tackle for the Bulldogs—including on their 1956 championship-winning football team. During his time at Yale, Ken joined the U.S. Army Reserves. Although Ken had lifelong issues with motion sickness, he became a parachutist in the Special Forces. When he left the Army in 1965, he had attained the rank of Captain.
After completing his studies at Yale, Ken earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia and began his legal career with Hansen, Cobb, and O’Brien in Washington, DC. He was honored to have been admitted to the Supreme Court bar. In the course of his 40+ year Corporate Law career, he practiced in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, offering his services pro bono to individuals and organizations in need. After moving to Florida, Ken found his soulmate in a visiting young Irish-woman named Helen, who he pursued across continents and then wed in Scotland. Ken and Helen tried living in Northern Ireland for a time but the gray weather soon had them beating a path back to the Florida warmth and sunshine where the two of them remained.
Ken was preceded in death by his parents Thomas W and Letitia K Jones, as well as by his only brother Tim. He is survived by his beloved wife of 22 years, Helen Jones. He is also survived by his three children Kirk Jones (Michelle), Pam Upton (Mark), and Andrew Jones (Joanne), his two granddaughters Eliza and Courtney, and various nieces and nephews.
Ken will be remembered for his passion for politics, although those discussions weren’t always met with the enthusiasm from other family members that he’d have liked. More importantly, he will be remembered for his love of the simple things in life like having his family all together in the same place or taking trips to the beach with his wife.
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