Jesse Dale Jones

Jesse Dale Jones was born September 17, 1934 in Clovis, New Mexico to Elmore and Nell Jones. He had all the benefits of growing up in a small town, which he roamed freely as a child. His older sister Sondra sometimes tried to disown him, because of his shenanigans.

He was known as Dale throughout his life in Clovis- or Jesse Dale whenever he was about to be scolded. By Jesse’s own admission, he was a dippy, ADHD type of kid.

During his teen summers, he “lived” at the municipal swimming pool from opening to closing, became a lifeguard there for 2 years and perfected his diving. He enjoyed singing and chorus, often singing solos in his church.

After graduating from Clovis High School, he became a licensed medical technologist and worked for a short interval for the State Health Department in Sterling, CO.

His U.S. Navy years began in 1955 and he retired in 1975, as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. He often said the Navy matured and focused him. His last duty station was at White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, NM. He and his family lived in Las Cruces 40 years.

He picked up his love of golf during shore duty in San Diego and pursued that passion the rest of his life, achieving 4 Holes in One.

After retiring from the Navy, one of Jesse’s more interesting jobs was at White Sands Missile Range in NM as supervisor of the radar system which was used to train future astronauts in landing the space shuttle. He and his team of technicians were an integral part of history when the radar system they were manning helped achieve the safe landing of the space shuttle Columbia at White Sands Space Harbor.

In 1988, Jesse became a realtor and continued in that career until full retirement in 2002. In 2014 he became a Texan after moving to Frisco to be closer to his son and family and became an avid spectator at his grandson’s football games.

His family will hold close their memories of a wonderful husband to Carol, his wife of nearly 48 years, a loving father to his son, Scott and daughter-in-law, Fawn, and adoring grandfather to his grandchild, Jesse. He was good-natured, generous, had a great sense of humor (“I feel so good I could have a run-away”),would whistle like a bird when a favorite song was playing, was a terrific dancer, so thoughtful he would head to the store at a moment’s notice to get a cooking ingredient his wife needed, a kind and loving person---a thoroughly good man.