Walter E. Jones

     Walter Elwin Jones, Jr., 76, passed away peacefully on July 18, 2013 at the Susquehanna Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Johnson City after a multi-year battle with degenerative neurological disorders. Walt will be remembered by his family and friends as a gentle and kind man who rarely raised his voice, never spoke ill of another person, and relished offering wry observations about his world. He gave selflessly to others, particularly to his sons so that they could have opportunities he never had, and his loyalty to and love for his wife Joan will remain an example to us all.      Walt Jones was born July 4, 1937 in Binghamton, New York to Erma L. (Henderson) and Walter Elwin Jones, Sr. He grew up on Burr Avenue on Binghamton’s southside and attended city schools, graduating from North High School in 1955. While still a student, Walt began working part-time at the Ansco Corporation plant on Charles Street, starting a connection to that site that persisted through multiple names, reorganizations and owners (Ozalid, GAF, Anitec Image, International Paper) and continued until his 1996 retirement. It was there that he also met his wife, Joan. Walt was a self-educated computer programmer and data manager, following the evolution from punchcards to computer tapes to desktop PCs and email. He supplemented his training with courses at Broome Community College, eventually earning an associate’s degree.      Walt always looked for ways to supplement his income and expand his family’s opportunities. For a time he pulled second-shift duty, which earned extra pay and also freed him to be a substitute and noon-time bus driver for Susquehanna Valley schools in the days of half-day kindergarten. He worked several years as Youth Commissioner and Assistant Youth Commissioner for the Town of Binghamton, which also kept him involved with the athletic endeavors of his three sons. He also served with the New York State Army National Guard, 53rd Troop Command, 204th Engineer Battalion.      Walt was a lifelong member of Conklin Avenue First Baptist Church, and he served the church in numerous capacities, including many years on the Board of Deacons and two terms as its Moderator. However, his most enthusiastic contributions may have been toward church upkeep and facility improvements—so much so that he arranged to be become Church Sexton following his 1996 retirement. The church was also the center of his social life, and the many friendships that he and Joan made there as young members of the “Wedding Ring Class” lasted the rest of his days.     Walt enjoyed camping and the outdoors. He was a daily walker and a regular bowler. A devoted New York Yankees fan, he followed the team closely via radio throughout his life. As a ninth-generation direct descendent of Mayflower passengers John and Priscilla Alden, Walt had a keen interest in genealogy and conducted research on his family’s history; he also became a member of the Alden Kindred and attended its reunion in Duxbury, Massachusetts.      His great passions, however, were do-it-yourself projects: home improvements, carpentry, auto maintenance, and landscaping. At the Saddlemire Road home he and Joan purchased in 1964, Walt built his own two-car garage and a deck, renovated several rooms, and turned an empty basement into a comfortable living space. He did extensive work on his mother’s large Victorian home, including seemingly constant painting projects. It was not a coincidence that following retirement he took a part-time job in the hardware department at Lowe’s in Vestal.      Walt is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Joan M. (Roosa) Jones, who he married in Hallstead, Pa. on July 20, 1958; his children, Mark Walter Jones of Roanoke, Va., John Edward and Tonya Jones of Binghamton; and Alan Lee and Lisa Jones of Dunmore, Pa.; and five grandchildren: Matthew Alden Jones, a student at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia; Allisa Lynn Jones and Adam Levi Jones of Dunmore, Pa.; and Leah Siobhan and Megan Cynthia Jones of Binghamton. He leaves behind sister and brother-in-law Virginia and Robert Borne of Endwell; brother and sister-in-law Lyle and Betty Henderson of Nicholson, Pa.; brothers-in-law Carlton Cushman of Port Dickinson and Lawrence Osterhout of Hallstead, Pa.; sister-in-law, Leah Osterhout Wooster of Columbus, Ind.; and former daughter-in-law Joyce Noe Jones of Richmond, Va. Walt is predeceased by his parents, Walter Elwin Jones, Sr. (1957) and Erma Henderson Jones (1996); sister-in-law, Jean Roosa Cushman (2007); and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Willis E. “Bill” Roosa (2012) and Bonita “Bonnie” Armstrong Roosa (2007).      Funeral services will be held 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at the Conklin Avenue First Baptist Church, 91 Baldwin Street, Binghamton with the Reverend Steven Chastain officiating. Interment will follow services in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. Family will receive friends from 4:00 until 7:00 pm, Monday, July 22, 2013 at the DeMunn Funeral Home, 36 Conklin Avenue, Binghamton. Memorial contributions in Walt’s name may be made to the Conklin Avenue First Baptist Church, 91 Baldwin Street, Binghamton, NY 13903. To forward condolences, please visit www.demunnfh.com.