Donald Jones
Donald E. Jones, Don, was the second son born to Dan & Esther Jones in Oakland, California on April 26, 1947. He was called home to the lord on November 10, 2020
Don attended John Swett Elementary School, Bret Harte Middle School and Skyline High School, all in Oakland. His graduating class of 1964 was the first to complete the full three years at the new Skyline campus. Don learned his love of the game of golf at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton during the 1950’s. His first real job was delivering the Oakland Tribune to his neighbors in the Oakland Hills. Don played football at Skyline and also at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. A broken nose and a broken thumb ended his involvement in the sport.
After taking up scuba diving in college, Don and his best friend, Dave Lee, signed up to do search and rescue for the San Louis Obispo county Sheriff’s Department. During their dives they recovered everything from a stolen Coca Cola machine to a cadaver. Don continued to enjoy diving up and down the west coast of California seeking abalone and in later years enjoying the tropical waters of Hawaii.
Don was an avid fisherman. He fished from Alaska to Mexico all types of fish in all types of water. He was proud that he had caught two marlins, one in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and one in Hawaii. He described catching a marlin as trying to pull a VW bug up an elevator shaft and then having it fall back down again. His biggest trophy fish was a 565-pound Pacific Blue Marlin off of Kona Hawaii.
Don’s first job out of college was a Sales Rep for Oscar Mayer & Company. His territory was Sacramento and surrounding areas. With all the miles he traveled, Don filled his kitchen cabinets with free drinking glasses from Shell gas stations and bought Christmas gifts with books of blue-chip stamps.
He joined his father at Berger & Jones Insurance Agency in Oakland in 1972. Don became active in the Young Agent’s Association Winning the Outstanding Young Agent of the Year award in 1979. Don went on to be President of both the Oakland Association of Insurance Agents and President of the Contra Costa Association. His community involvement extended to being on the board of Concern For The Poor in San Jose, member and then President of San Ramon Rotary Club and serving on the Church Council for Resurrection Lutheran Church in Dublin, CA.
He was blessed with a wonderful Welsh voice, which he shared with the Blackhawk Chorus and Chromatica. Don and his wife Cynthia both performed with the Blackhawk Chorus in Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, even in Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Don is survived by his wife of 50 years, Cynthia Jones, daughter DawnL Jones, son Jerrid Jones, and granddaughter Juliet Jones. His brother Dave Jones (Linda), nephews Chris Boruck, Sean Boruck, Ryan Jones (Maureen), and niece Rochelle Jones Morrissey (Chris). His dogs Molly (Good Golly Miss Molly) and Daisy.
He was an extraordinary man, a gentleman’s gentleman, an easy man to like, and admire. A memorial service is hopefully planned for Spring 2021.
Donations may be made in Don’s name to International Bird Rescue in Fairfield California.