Raymond Bruce Jones

1924 - 2023

Raymond Bruce Jones of Walnut Creek, CA, peacefully passed away on 9/9/23 at 99 years of age. He died at the Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara, CA. His death was caused by a combination of old age, a heart condition, and other medical complications.Bruce was born in Modesto, CA on March 10, 1924. His father, Harold Bennett Jones, an insurance salesman, and his mother Alvina Regina Jones (nee Boltshauser), a homemaker, took care of their three children, Stanley, Bruce, and Alice. While Bruce was growing up, they lived in Santa Cruz, CA for a few years. He remembered the house on Berkeley Way, with fog horns at night and a hill going down to a creek at the end of their road. When Bruce was in the 5th grade the family moved back to Modesto. Bruce discovered he was good at math, and he was interested in Engineering. He attended Modesto Junior College and then transferred to UC Berkeley where he pursued an Electrical Engineering degree. Bruce worked to earn his meals while at the university by mopping the kitchen floor in Stern Hall (at the girls' dorm). After graduating with a BS degree, he accepted an offer with General Electric to work on a gun fire system for the B29. He got a starting wage of $1.00/hour (good pay back then). Bruce continued to work for General Electric for 24 years with job titles in test design, sales, and field engineering. Bruce met his wife Liz in 1953 during a joint church camping trip in Yosemite. They were married the next year, in 1954, at the First Congregational Church in Berkeley. They welcomed two children, Larry and Nancy. While Larry and Nancy were growing up the family lived in Massachusetts for a couple of years in a house on one acre of land with a forest and nearby pond. Bruce built a very high treehouse for Nancy and Larry who were about 6 and 8 years old. In the winter they went to a nearby hill and the kids tried skiing down with coaching from their Mom and Dad.After Massachusetts Bruce moved his family to Ohio. They bought a large cape cod style house with forested back yard. This time Bruce built just the platform for a tree house and Larry built walls and roof with help from the kid next door.Bruce didn't like the weather in Ohio and wanted to move back to California. He decided to join Bechtel Power in 1969 in San Francisco and move the family to a home in Walnut Creek, CA. Nancy and Larry went into the 6th and 8th grades when they arrived in Walnut Creek. Larry worked on model railroad layouts with help from his Dad. The family went on many vacations where they camped and brought their boat. Nancy and Larry learned how to water ski with help from their parents.Most of Bruce's work with Bechtel involved nuclear power plant design. He held several positions including electrical supervisor and manager of project information services. After working for 19 years on power plants in Arkansas, New Jersey, Tennessee and Florida, Bruce retired from Bechtel in 1988.After retiring Bruce traveled to Europe with his wife Liz, and later, after her passing, proceeded to take a Viking voyage on the Rhine. He also enjoyed an Alaskan cruise at the age of 94. Bruce's hobbies included cooking, gardening, computers, bowling, bird watching, and taking long walks.Bruce and Liz enjoyed being with their 2 children and 3 grandchildren at many family gatherings for birthdays and holidays over the years. There would always be a nice meal and lots of socializing. Bruce and his grandchild Elizabeth Maginot (nee Deal) had an especially close relationship that developed during a few years when she and Nancy lived with Bruce and Liz.Bruce lived independently in his Walnut Creek home up until 3 months before his death. He enjoyed reading his two newspapers, relishing his bacon and egg breakfast, taking his daily half hour walk, filling up his birdfeeders, handling his bills, as well as driving to meet friends for lunch at the senior center. Bruce is survived by his daughter Nancy Elizabeth Deal (nee Jones) of Concord, CA; his son and daughter-in-law, Lawrence "Larry" Bruce Jones and Jandy Rebecca Jones (nee Anderson) of San Jose, CA; three grandchildren, Elizabeth Kathryn Maginot (nee Deal, husband Adam), Whitney Alvina Jones and Savannah Tipton Jones; one great grandchild Natalie Ray Maginot; and his sister Alice Upjohn (nee Jones). His wife of 56 years, Elizabeth "Liz" Veronica Jones (nee Wagner) predeceased him in 2010. His brother Stanley Bennett Jones predeceased him in 2011.In loving memory of Bruce Jones, Memorial Services to celebrate his long and happy life will be held at Hillcrest Congregational Church, 404 Gregory Lane in Pleasant Hill on Friday, October 6, 2023 at 3:00pm. Donations can be made in memory of Bruce Jones to: Hillcrest Congregational Church, Food Room.