Donald Bliss Jones

He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BS in mechanical engineering in 1949, and the Air Force Institute of Technology with an MBA in Engineering Administration in 1958. Don was a world traveler, having served in the Air Force for 24 years. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel/ fighter pilot and engineer, and went back to college, obtaining his PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering from Texas A & M University in 1975.

He taught in colleges in Texas and California, and his youthful appearance made it necessary to grow a beard so that he would look older than his students. When he was told he had to graduate the kids in his classes who didn't do the work, he retired as a teacher. He then pursued a lifelong dream to sail by buying a sailboat factory's molds, and launched a yacht building company in Santa Ana, CA. He built more than fifty sailboats, 55 and 43 footers and kept the last 43 he built. Then he and his wife Francine sold their home and sailed from CA through the Panama Canal to south Florida. From there, they crossed the Atlantic Ocean and explored the Mediterranean.

His curiosity for knowledge about all matters historical occupied him for years and led to his accumulation of thousands of books on religion, all sciences, mathematics, education and history, which he avidly consumed. He visited over 400 ports of call on his sailboat, "Song", up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States, throughout the Caribbean, and Europe. Divorced, then widowed, he came back to S. Fla. and met Darlene in 1998. They married in 2002 and settled in Plantation, Fla. He flew to Spain and brought "Song" back across the Atlantic, the 4th crossing, at 77 years of age. He worked on getting her market ready for two years, and she was adopted by another family in 2008.

Don enjoyed people and kept in touch with hundreds of friends for years. He accompanied Darlene to dozens of musical performances throughout the 14 years of their marriage. He was a 65 year member of the Masonic Lodge, and enjoyed their meetings in Ft. Lauderdale.

He is survived by his wife, Darlene; sons, Doug and Peter, his daughter, Lesa; granddaughters, Stefany, Julia, Laurel and Allison; great-grandchildren, Alyssa, Brooke, Josiah, Drew, Michael, Madeline and Corbin; step-children, Vickie, Rich and Greg Carlton, and step-grandchildren, Brooke, David and Mia. He was preceded in death by his mother, father, younger brother and sister, daughter Robin and her mother, Francine.

His memorial service will be held at Christ Church United Methodist, Ft. Lauderdale, 4845 NE 25 Ave, at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 13, 2016, with a reception following. Don will be laid to rest with his parents at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas with Full Military Honors rendered by the U.S. Air Force. In lieu of flowers, contributions given in memory of Don can be directed to Wounded Warriors (www.woundedwarriorproject.org) or the Christ Church Music Department.