Robert Louis Jones

The unrivaled king of the Big Spring Country Club practice golf range has passed away. Robert 'Bob' Louis Jones Sr., born October 17th, 1926, died peacefully on Friday December 29th, surrounded by his children and caregivers.
Born to Marie and Louis Jones in Evansville, Indiana, Bob grew up in the Highlands of Louisville with his younger sister Joann. They tap-danced together through their childhood and remained very close their entire lives. Bob attended school and church at St. Francis of Assisi in Louisville. He then went on to St. Xavier High School, where he played on their championship golf team, graduating in 1944.
Because he was only 17 years old upon high school graduation, he matriculated to Xavier College in Cincinnati for one semester. After turning 18, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1944. Following his completion of basic training, the war ended, and Bob was honorably discharged. He then enrolled at the University of Notre Dame on the G.I. Bill. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 1949. His lifelong passion for all things Notre Dame has been a constant influence on his family.
Bob met the love of his life, Doris Jean Boland, during a nine-hole golf outing at Big Spring CC. They married at Holy Spirit Church a year later, a marriage that lasted for 68 years, until her passing in July 2023. The two enjoyed a lifelong love affair, renewing their vows at Sacred Heart Chapel on their 50th anniversary and again on their 65th in their southern home of Lost Tree Village, Florida. Bob and Doris's beautiful, faith-based marriage is an inspiration to all their children.
After working briefly as a mechanical engineer, Bob sought an entrepreneurial opportunity in the dry-cleaning business. He purchased Hi-Land Cleaners in 1952. He worked tirelessly for 32 years to establish it as a leader in the industry and a trusted and beloved Louisville business. Without warning, Bob's father, Louis, showed up for work the Monday after his own retirement from the A&P grocery stores. Bob welcomed him with open arms, the two shared a desk in the small office, had coffee and doughnuts every morning at Krispy Kreme, and enjoyed routine lunches at Ponderosa Steakhouse. Bob's mother, Marie, was always a part of the bookkeeping department, making the dry cleaners truly a family business. Bob's integrity and business reputation as an honest and fair person were of utmost importance to him. Upon his retirement, in 1986, Bob was proud to pass the business to his son Michael, who in turn brought on his sister Anne to continue the family tradition.
Bob and Doris started their family of seven children on Homestead Boulevard next to Seneca Park. The family faithfully attended Holy Spirit Church and parish school. As the family grew, they moved to the Maryhill neighborhood in the shadow of Holy Trinity Church where the children walked up the hill to school each day and the family marched to church together every Sunday morning at 9:55 AM, slipping into the second pew. Bob and Doris believed very strongly in raising their children in Catholic parishes where the values, disciplines and traditions that they learned as children were passed on to their children.
Bob and Doris encouraged their children in a wide variety of endeavors and interests from the arts, academics and sports. Bob was the ultimate teacher and coach and was passionate about anything his children wanted to pursue. He would spend hours drilling multiplication tables or assisting on homework assignments. He was an enthusiastic sports coach in tennis, golf, swimming and basketball, feeding endless tennis balls, practicing crip shots, or hitting golf balls on the range.
Golf was Bob's personal passion from an early age. He played tens of thousands of holes, hit millions of practice balls, and coached his children and grandchildren for countless hours. He was a swing-thought aficionado and always searched for the next tweak to his or anyone else's swing. During his working days, Bob was on the course every Saturday at noon with a foursome made up of a variety of his best friends. Summer nights were spent golfing with his wife and children. After retirement, it was common for Bob to play 36 holes a day, and often, after a day's rounds, he would end with a few (100) more balls on the practice range. Bob had three holes-in-one, among many other golfing achievements.
Bob and Doris retired to Juno Beach, Florida, playing golf at Old Marsh before moving to the community of Lost Tree Village. Lost Tree became a second home for them where they made many great friends in this wonderful, close-knit community. During their 40 years as snowbirds, they created many precious memories with their children and grandchildren on the beach and on the golf courses. At the age of 88, when his ability to golf waned, Bob became an accomplished duplicate bridge tournament player, and accumulated many master points.
'Big Bob,' as he was known, was the patriarch of a large and loving family, including seven children: Colleen (Todd) Underhill, Betsy Jones, Bobby (Lucy) Jones, Boland (Andrea) Jones, Michael (Laura) Jones, Anne (Tom) Nash, Nancy (Luke) Fallon. 18 grandchildren: Townsend (Jamie) Underhill, Colin (Natalie) Underhill, Jordan (Clark) King, Channing (Bryan) Flaherty, Rob Jones, Rebecca Jones, Alex (Meghan) Cowden Jones, Ansley (Will) Collins, Bo (Kassidy) Jones, Braden Jones, Henry Putney, Afton Putney, William Jones, Abby Nash (predeceased), Caitlyn Nash, Liam Fallon, Ben Fallon, Ava Fallon, and 17 great-grandchildren: Quinn, Grayson, and Thomas Underhill, Nolin, Leighton, Francesca, Penn, and Genevieve Underhill, Chance and Hilly King, John Patrick, Jack, and Mary Catherine Flaherty, William and Hugh Collins, Banks and Rhodes Jones.
Visitation will be on Friday, January 5th, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, from 10:00 AM till 12:00 PM. The Funeral Mass will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Xavier High School, 1609 Poplar Level Road, Louisville, Ky 40217. Specifically to the Jones Family Tuition Endowment Fund.