Patrick Charles Jones

May 23, 1947 – May 13, 2023. Patrick Charles Jones passed away from pancreatic cancer at his home in Ontario, California on May 13, 2023. Patrick was born in Muskegon, Michigan to Albert Lee and Maryalice Fleckenstein Jones. The family moved to California in 1951. Patrick attended Pomona High School where he played catcher on the varsity baseball team, graduating in 1965. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1966, served in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in 1970. He married Patricia Smith in 1971, with whom he had two children, Kevin and Sara.

Patrick worked as a welder, recreational vehicle mechanic and ornamental iron fabricator before returning to Pomona to join his parents in the family business, Jones Travel Associates. After his first marriage ended, he married Nancy DeDiemar in 1984, whom he had first met in San Diego in 1951 when they lived across the street from each. After selling Jones Travel, he joined Nancy in her family business, Printing Resources of Southern California. When he and Nancy retired in 2011, Patrick again took up ornamental iron welding, producing artwork of representational forms (animals, insects, fish, trees, vines and flowers) and geometric forms fabricated from copper, brass and steel, culminating in an exhibition at the Chaffey Community Museum of Art in 2018.

Baseball, the Marine Corps and metal art remained Patrick’s passions throughout his life. Patrick is survived by his wife, Nancy DeDiemar Jones, his children Kevin Jones and Sara Jones Baldwin (Mark), stepchildren Cindy Plasman Roper (Roland), Scott Plasman (Aimee) and Jay Plasman (Talina DiMartino); four grandchildren and five step-grandchildren.

Patrick will be loved and remembered as a man of integrity, honesty, intelligence, loyalty, strength, kindness and a sparkle that his wife Nancy calls his “cuteness”. He will be sorely missed by family and his many friends.