Robert Jones

Alexandria - Robert Earl Jones, loving husband, father, grandfather, and coach, passed away on May 14, 2021, surrounded by his family at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was 81. Bob was known to many for his prowess as a basketball player and coach, and as the winner of the 1973 DII National Championship. To his family, friends, and former players, Bob will be remembered as a gentle giant who embraced God and his loved ones with an unyielding heart. Bob was born February 24, 1940 in Bellevue, Ky., the third of four children, to Everett and Margaret Jones. His basketball game developed early, and from 1955-1958, he was an all-conference and all-region center at Bellevue High School. While he also earned all-conference honors in football and 7 varsity letters in baseball, Bob's heart was in hoops. As the starting center and three-time co-captain at Georgetown College (Ky.), Bob led the Tigers to the 1961 NAIA Championship game, and he holds the school career record with 1,730 rebounds. Known for his toughness on the court, Bob loved to tell people how his coach once played him in a tournament game despite having his jaw broken and wired shut in the game the day before. A natural coach, Bob went on to serve Georgetown as a graduate assistant basketball coach and the head baseball coach from 1964-1965. He then worked and coached at Ludlow High School until 1967, when he made his move to Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Ky., where he would remain for 14 years. With Bob as the assistant basketball coach, KWC won the 1968 and 1969 NCAA Championships, and was the 1971 NCAA Fourth Place team. In 1973, Bob was promoted to become the head basketball coach, and he won the NCAA Division II Championship with a 24-6 record in his first season. He was also named the 1973 NCAA DII Coach of the Year. In 1974, Bob led KWC to a No. 1 ranking for six weeks and a second place finish in the NCAA Midwest Region. In eight seasons with Bob at the helm, the Panthers were 119-90, a 56.9 winning percentage. Bob also served as KWC's head baseball coach for five seasons, and from 1973-1981, he was KWC's director of athletics. Bob retired to Alexandria, Ky., and finished his career as a high school teacher, coach and athletic director, where he made memories he would appreciate forever: at Campbell County, where he was two-time 9th Region Coach of the Year, and at Newport High School. He also volunteered in kindergarten classrooms, where he was well-loved. He is a member of the Hall of Fame of Bellevue High School, Georgetown College, Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors, and Northern Kentucky Sports. Bob enjoyed much success on the court, but more important to him than the Xs and Os, and more valuable than any win, was his close relationship with his players. If you were coached by Bob, in camp or in high school or at KWC, you were part of his extended family, a member of his team for life. Bob loved the Lord, and his wife and her cooking and their marriage; he loved his children, and he was intensely proud of them all. He loved being Grandpa and making up stories about Licker the dog and making kids smile. He loved simple things; he loved the beach, and family time, joking with friends, watching basketball, and sitting on his front porch to take it all in. He loved his home and his life, and he knew he had had a good one. Bob was also a man of contrasts. His extreme toughness on the court was matched by the tenderness his family evoked. He was a demanding coach, and he didn't suffer fools. But if he liked you, his fierce loyalty and protectiveness were profound. He had strong convictions and was greatly respected, but he never took himself too seriously. The only thing better than Bob's big, open smile, which you saw in every photograph, was Bob's big, open heart. Bob worshipped quietly, laughed loudly, and loved without reserve. His passing leaves a giant hole in many lives. He was kind, he cared deeply, he was a brave fighter until the end, and he will be sorely missed. He was a good man. Bob is survived by his wife of almost 28 years, Marlene Day Jones; his three children, Jeffrey (Danielle) Jones, Douglas Jones, and Kelly Jones; his grandchildren Meghann (Frank) Phillips, Madison (Scott) Abbott, Jeffrey Jones, and Teagan Jones; his great-grandchildren Boyd and Langley Abbott and Bess Phillips; his sisters-in-law Darlene Rock and Patricia (James) Kloepfer; and his many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Richard Jones and James Jones, and a sister, Shirley Jones. A visitation will be held Tuesday, May 18, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and a funeral service will be held Wednesday, May 19, at 11:00 a.m.. Both will be held at Grant's Lick Baptist Church in Alexandria, Ky. Immediately following the burial, a Celebration of Life luncheon will be held at The Creek Center in Alexandria, Ky. Donations in Bob's name can be made to Grant's Lick Baptist Church. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Alexandria Funeral, Alexandria, KY. Online condolences can be given at alexandriafh.com