Thomas Jones

1937 - 2021

Thomas Frank Jones passed away peacefully at his home in San Marino on December 22, 2021, at the age of 83. He departed after a long fight with a chronic illness. Born in Los Angeles, he worked in his father's butcher shop from the age of 10. He liked to tell the story of how he received two letters in a single day. One letter, which he opened first, told him he was admitted to the UCLA Anderson School of Management. The second letter began "Greetings, " and directed him to report for duty with the U.S. Army. He had become a draftee. UCLA deferred his admission, and the Army let him out 4 months early, so he got to tour a little bit of Europe before starting his academic career. That career took him from an MBA at UCLA to a Master's in Management and a Ph.D. at Claremont Graduate University. Tom met Louise Agee through friends. After a summer courtship in 1963, they tied the knot in 1964 and began working on a lifelong partnership. They truly lived The American Dream, but Tom was always humble about his beginning and subsequent successes. Along the way, they had 4 children: Suzanne Jones Dunn (Damon), Kevin Frederick Kemon Jones (Lindsey), Jeffrey Thomas Jones (Kristen), and Stephen Thomas Jefferson Jones (Brittany). Other survivors are his brother Ronald Jones (Karen), his 7 grandchildren, and his two sisters-in-law. Tom was fond of gentle jokes which he would play upon whomever was closest. He loved the summer, he loved his home, and he loved entertaining his family. He enjoyed travel but was always in a hurry to get home. Besides his family, Tom's business was his pride and joy, and he lavished time and care on making it run smoothly. As he became more prosperous, Tom was able to indulge his passion for cars and motorcycles. He completed the Barstow to Vegas Desert Race twice. He began to give back to the community by serving as a Reserve Police Officer first with the Alhambra Police Department, then as a Los Angeles County Sheriff Reserve Deputy. He rose through the ranks of the sheriff reserves to become Captain of Management Company. He also began to volunteer his time with the National Guard. Again, he moved through the ranks to become Colonel in the National Guard. He put his skills to work with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), helping young guardsmen and women who had been thrust into active service, reintegrate into civilian life. His efforts in this regard earned him the Medal of California. In addition, he served terms on the Board of Directors of LA Children's Hospital; the Board of Visitors of UCLA Anderson School of Management; and the Board of Regents of Claremont Graduate School. All of these activities made for a full and satisfying life. He will be sorely missed. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Lewy Body Association www.lbda.org/donate/