Bernard Allen Jones

Bernard Allen Jones of Kansas City, MO died at St. Luke's Hospice House in Kansas City on December 26, 2023. He was born at Mercy Hospital, Fort Scott, KS, on August 10, 1933 to Lucile Pike Jones and Verne Allen Jones, attended Fort Scott schools and graduated from the University of Kansas, class of 1954. He stayed at KU for further post-graduate work as well as going to Rockhurst College in Kansas City.

Bernie's parents were longtime residents of the Fort Scott, KS area dating back to the Civil War and prior to that from Virginia westward as far back as twenty years after the founding of Jamestown in 1607. Through his great-grandmother, Mary Kent Jones, he was a direct blood descendent of the French Royal Family and tribes dating back to the First Century and blood related to all the royal houses of Europe through royal marriages. He also was a far removed cousin of his partner, Robert Burris Bridges, through marriages of the Scottish and French Royal Family.

After graduation from the University of Kansas, Bernie worked for Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, in their Tulsa, Oklahoma regional office. For a short while he lived in Washington, D.C. employed by the Small Business Administration and was transferred to Kansas City. That was followed by a ten year career position as Comptroller for Uniformed Services Benefit Association, Kansas City. In 1975, he left there to become employed by the James Cos, where he was Manager of the Accounting and Data Processing unit. They eventually merged into the Sedgwick Group, London, UK, making them one of the world's largest insurance brokerages where he moved to Executive Vice President, Finance & Administration. He retired in 1996 from Sedgwick Group in Kansas City, which is now a part of Marsh & McLennan.

After growing up in another denomination, Bernie was confirmed at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in May, 1961, He held many volunteer positions in Kansas City through the years at St Mary's, St Paul's and St Andrew's Episcopal Churches, the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri, Saint Luke's Hospital and Bishop Spencer Place. Among those positions were St Mary's where he was parish treasurer, served on the Vestry and was chairman of the Finance Committee, and St Paul's where he was parish treasurer - adjunct to the Vestry as well as being on the Finance Committee, Personnel Committee and Adult Education Committee.

At the time of his death he was a parishioner of St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Kansas City, where he was a Eucharistic Minister - serving several years as the Lay Coordinator for the Eucharistic Minister Staff. He was also on the Lector staff. In the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri, he served as Associate Treasurer - adjunct to the Diocesan Counsel, Chairman of the Insurance Committee and was a member of the Finance Committee. At Saint Luke's he was a member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council.

He was also very active at Saint Luke's Bishop Spencer Place, serving there as a volunteer for several years before moving to Bishop Spencer. After moving to Bishop Spencer, he served on the Resident Council for nine years and was very active with the Chapel of the Epiphany staff, serving as a volunteer Lector and Eucharistic Minister. While a volunteer, Bernie started doing the Service Booklets for all the services of the Chapel so that the whole service of the Episcopal Eucharist could be followed by all residents. When he moved to Bishop Spencer, he continued that service for over fifteen years.

He also served on the Bishop Spencer Place Friendly Neighbor Committee being on the management team. Bernie also started a summer program which evolved into what was to become four years of monthly organ recitals on the Chapel's beautiful Schoestein Organ, Opus 126a, and mixed with some of the other arts. In addition to procuring the artists, he was in charge of raising funds to provide the recitals as well as sponsoring the wine receptions afterward.

Bernie was predeceased by Robert Burris Bridges, Kansas City, MO, his cousin from birth, and his Friend and Life Partner of 58 years, his parents, Lucile Pike Jones and Verne Allen Jones, of Fort Scott, KS and brother-in-law, James Claude Rackard, of Nashville, TN.

He is survived by his sister, Marilyn Jones Rackard, BSN, RN, MSN, LADC, MAC, Nashville, TN, and his niece, Diane Rackard Sauseda and her husband, Verne Sauseda, Franklin, TN. He is also survived by his second family from Robert Bridges – niece, Linda Galbraith, Tulsa, OK, and nephews, Joseph Francis Galbraith, Tulsa, OK and William Bridges Galbraith and his wife, Judy BusseII Galbraith, Gaithersburg, MD.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Wednesday, January 10, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 6401 Wornall Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64113.

Cremation with private inurnment will be at Trinity Episcopal Church, Tulsa, OK, in the Columbarium of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. Memorials may be made to Saint Luke's Foundation Innovation Fund at Saint Luke's Foundation, 901 E. 104th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131.