Joseph Jones

Joseph Blackwell Jones, beloved Father, businessman, historian, and musician passed away May 28, 2015 at Lutheran Exempla Hospital in Wheat Ridge Colorado. Stoically fighting the effects of kidney failure and diabetes, his optimistic spirit provided him the strength to endure the years of treatment. Always capable to twist a situation into a good laugh, his comedic ability was our medicinal means to cope. Master Sergeant Edward J. Jones and Lucy S. Blackwell Jones, service administrator in the CSO, welcomed infant Joseph on July 13, 1950. He was the first breech birth to survive at the US Navel Hospital, Naval Medical Center, Guam. In 1951, he toddled on Florida sands while his father received medical treatment for heart disease and his Mother became an English teacher. After the 1955 death of Edward, Lucy and Joseph moved to the Blackwell Clifton Farm estate in Warrenton, VA. Having free run on 600 acres with his basset hound, Patch, Joseph honed his outdoor skills as a Boy Scout. In grade school, he discovered his passion for music when playing trombone and switched to baritone as a Cadet at Randolph-Macon Academy (Front Royal, VA). He won several performance awards on his path to a Bachelors of Music Education from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music (Winchester, VA) in 1973. 1973-74 were pivotal years for Joseph. He left Virginia and moved to the Midwest to manage a newspaper carrier business and began master degree studies at Ball State University (Muncie, IN). One of his job duties as a graduate assistant was to officiate at marching band rehearsals. On the band field, he met his wife, who was also pursuing a music degree. Joseph and Patricia Adel Conjalka were married on August 23, 1974 at St Francis of Assisi (Muncie, IN). While honeymooning, the outdoor possibilities in Colorado, teaching prospects, and the billboard promise of 300 days of sunshine compelled the young couple and their basset hounds to move west. Joseph taught part-time until he graduated from Denver Institute of Technology in 1977 to become a draftsperson for Perl-Mack and booming oil & gas industries. After the 1980’s economic bust, he assumed a management position at BancOne. Seeking a sales career, he worked at Sears and property management. During his retirement, he continued his historical interests, specializing in US conflicts, beginning with his ancestor, William Brewster, a pilgrim on the Mayflower to World War II, in which his family was involved. Joseph is survived by his wife, Patricia; his son, Tristan; and his daughter, Bonnie. His Mother-in-law, Betty Conjalka, lives in Indiana. We hope you are in heaven surrounded by your basset hounds.