John Sanford Jones

John S. Jones, 95, went to be with his Lord on May 9, 2017. He was born on August 4th, 1921
to Maude and Sanford Jones in Kalamazoo, Michigan. John was raised in Ferndale, MI and
WWII interrupted his college career, so he enlisted in the Air Force. After extensive training in
radio in Sioux Falls South Dakota, medical training in Madison, Wis., advanced radio at the
Philco Radio Factory in Philadelphia, John was selected for duty in the new 20th Air Force,
whose purpose was to introduce the latest to bombers, the B-29.
John joined a crew of nine other personnel and was deployed to Kharagpur, India, about 90
miles North of Calcutta. The pilot of John’s crew later because a Four-Star General. John
completed 35 missions in Japan, Manchuria, Sumatra, Thailand, Phillipines, finishing on the
Island of Tinian, where the atomic was based.
After his military duties were over, John and a partner selected bowling as their career and
proceeded, over a 20-year period, to establish a center on each corner of Flint, Michigan. This
enterprise consisted of 176 bowling lanes, 13 bars, 4 snack bars, approximately 140 employees
and a bowling supply store. After retiring, John bought an R.V. and finally settled in Turquoise
Valley, where he met and married Dottie Medlock of Bisbee, AZ.
John is survived by two children, daughter Sandra J. Takacs and son Michael Jones, many
grandchildren and great grandchildren. John was a lifetime member of both the American
Legion and VFW. Per John’s request, no services will be held. Cremation and interment shall be
in Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

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