Jon Merrit Jones

October 14, 1944 - May 7, 2019

In February of 2019, Jon “Jack” Jones had his last duck hunt, and it was a good one. He battled cancer and other health complications but was a fighter up to the very end, passing away on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at the age of 74, when the fight finally got the best of him. Jack was born on October 14, 1944, in Norfolk, NE, to Merritt and Frances Jones. He was an Artillery Officer with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division serving in Vietnam, and later, after his honorable discharge, he went on to graduate from Northern Colorado University with an MBA. Jack later moved to Bakersfield to begin his executive recruiting company, which he ran for 35 years. On July 23, 1977, he married Linda Ellen Barlow, and together they raised two daughters, Lindsay and Jennifer. Jack was a passionate veteran and a force to be reckoned with. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with dear friends, traveling with his wife, and most of all, spending time with his grandkids, or “speedbumps”. Known for his quick wit and inappropriate jokes, Jack had the ability to get the room rolling, and raise a few eyebrows in the process. And on perhaps too many occasions, he’d innocently invite friends and neighbors over to imbibe and share in a few laughs, only to send them home a little happier and a little wobblier than when they arrived. Jack is survived by his wife, Linda, two children, Lindsay and Jennifer, 3, almost 4 grandchildren, Connor, Hannah, Isabel, and Baby Foster, as well as his final hunting companion, Bella. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, May 17th, 2019, from 11:30-2:00, at the Elks Lodge on 1616 30th St., Bakersfield, CA 93301, for close friends and family who knew and loved Jack well. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in Jack’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.