Final Salute

John Eugene “Gene” Jones, 77, of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, passed from this life on May 11, 2022.

He was born in Fairfax, Missouri on April 15, 1945 to Alice Crockett Jones McCartney and Wayne Albert Jones. He graduated class of 1963 of Fairfax High School, and a 1967 graduate of University of Missouri with a BS in Civil Engineering. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy serving in numerous worldwide assignments including Vietnam. During his military service, he completed a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Public Works Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. After 27 years of service, he retired as a highly-decorated U.S. Navy Captain, which includes the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with four Gold Stars, and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V” and Gold Star.

In 1969, he married his first wife, Lynda Jean Cook of Tarkio. Their children are Angela Lynne Gunter and her husband Ashby Gunter (Greensboro, North Carolina) and John Christopher Jones and his wife Rachel Leah Catherine Alpert (Charlottesville, Virginia). In 2007, he married his current wife, Lynn VanFossan Bram Jones.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Albert Lee and Marvin Wayne.

He is survived by his children; wife; sister, Nancy Susan Thomson and her husband Mike (Sun City West, Arizona); brother, Don Reed Jones (Sun City West, Arizona); sister-in-law, Mary Catherine Jones (Mound City, Missouri); step-children, Vince Twaddell and his wife Phillis Twaddell (Clarinda, Iowa) and Lea Annette Twaddell (Maryville, Missouri); granddaughter, Samantha Riley Gunter; and step-grandson, Cole Phillips.

Visitation services will be held Saturday, from 2 to 3p.m. at Schooler Funeral Home in Fairfax, Missouri. The family will hold a private Graveside Ceremony at English Grove Cemetery in Fairfax, Missouri immediately thereafter.

In lieu of Flowers, donations can be made to the donation of their choice or the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association (https://www.seabee.org).