David Jerome Jones (1940 – 2016)

David Jones was born in Seattle, WA on July 12, 1940. He was the first of four children born to Oliver and Winifred Jones. The young couple had tried for nearly six years to have a baby, and after the doctor put Ollie on a special diet, which included wheat germ and celery, David arrived! Ollie joked that "the stalk" (not the stork) brought David.

From his early years Dave enjoyed creating things, and wood, in particular fascinated him. One Christmas when he was a toddler, his parents splurged on some wonderful gifts for him, but much to their dismay, he totally ignored those gifts and began playing with a stack of scrap wood by the fireplace. One of his favorite gifts, when he was a young boy, was a toolbox filled with a saw, hammer, etc. As the big brother, Dave often built things for his siblings, including kites, tree houses, stilts and scooters. The local newspaper took a photo of the playhouse he built for his little sister, Cheryl.

His parents moved several times through the years and in 1950 built their own home amongst some walnut trees and an orange grove in Anaheim, CA. Much to Ollie's consternation, the rural feel and country life disappeared when Mr. Disney built his theme park just down the street from them. Dave was excited to be at Disneyland on its opening day in mid-summer, and remembered ladies getting their high heels stuck in the soft, newly poured blacktop which had not set up completely.

Dave graduated from Anaheim High School and was accepted into Art Center School in Los Angeles, where he graduated with honors and received a Bachelor of Professional Art in 1962. After graduating, Dave briefly dated a young woman, Suzanne Kosewick, whom he had met at Anaheim Friends Church. The time wasn't right for them, so Dave moved to New York City to pursue his dream of working for an advertising agency, landing a job at Doyle Dane Bernbach.

In 1964 Dave surprised Suzy by sending her a card in March for her birthday. This card triggered a series of correspondence between them, with each letter getting warmer and warmer. In July, Dave came home for vacation in Anaheim, and four days later Dave and Suzy were engaged! Dave quit his job in New York and moved back to California, where he joined Doyle Dane Bernbach in Los Angeles as an art director. The couple married on July 3, 1965 at Anaheim Friends Church, where they had first met.

Beginning in 1962, he served in the Army National Guard, in New York and in California for six years. Dave was called up for duty during the Watts riots in Los Angeles in 1965. He was honorably discharged in 1968.

Dave's career in advertising spanned over 25 years, working for large agencies, including J. Walter Thompson and McCann-Erickson. He did point-of-sale, billboards, magazine ads, etc., some of which earned him awards. His accounts included Lawry's, U.S. Borax, Volkswagen, American Airlines, and Lockheed.

In 1990 Dave and Suzy moved to Oregon, with job offers from their good friends, the owners of Hot Off The Press in Canby. They worked there for several years, with Dave doing artwork, designing covers for craft books and building props. Also during that time, they bought a lot in Charbonneau and Dave designed their home.

With his love of building, Dave earned his contractor's license and set up his own company, David Jones Design, with his specialties being remodeling and cabinetry work. He had clients in Portland and Charbonneau. He found this work very satisfying and enjoyed the challenges each job presented. In his spare time, Dave liked helping family and friends with their projects, too. Dave retired in 2009, when his wife retired from A-dec, the international dental manufacturing company in Newberg.

As members of Rolling Hills Community Church for over 23 years, Dave and Suzy have served together many years as greeters at the 9:00 AM Sunday service. They have actively participated in a community group, and have been very grateful for the love and support from the couples in that group.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents. In addition to being survived by his wife of 50 years, Dave is survived by daughter, A'lee Wardwell and her husband, David Wardwell of Portland; son, Mark Jones and his wife, Kendra Jones of Beaverton; grandchildren Heath Wardwell, Sophia Wardwell, Luke Wardwell, Hannah Jones, Emily Jones and Abigail Jones. Dave is also survived by his sisters, Jacquelyn Allen and Cheryl Jones of Charbonneau; and brother, Keith Jones of Fresno, CA.

A memorial service for Dave is planned for Thursday, January 28, at 11:00 a.m. at Rolling Hills Community Church, 3550 SW Borland Rd., Tualatin, OR 97062. Phone: 503-638-5900.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests either gifts to a charity of your choice, or gifts in memory of David J. Jones can be made by check to Providence Portland Medical Foundation/4805 NE Glisan St./Portland, OR 97213. If giving to Providence, please indicate your preference for "Cancer Research" or "Cancer Patient Support Services" in a notation on your check. You may also call 503-215-6186 to make a gift over the phone. Or go to https://appsor.providence.org/giving and click on Providence Portland Medical Foundation to make a gift online.