John Josiah Jones

John was born on December 31, 1957, in Dunlo, Pennsylvania, to John and Ruth (Pearce) Jones. He was welcomed home by his siblings, Kevin, Kim, and Karin.

After graduating from Forest Hills High School in 1975, John followed the path of his father and grandfather into mining the hills of western Pennsylvania. After several years, he decided to move west to the coal mines of central Utah. It was there that he met the love of his life, Dolores. After a stint at Valley Camp Coal Company, John moved his wife and son, Matthew, to Meeker, where he worked at the Deserado Mine from 1986 until his retirement in 2022. In 1988, John and Dolores welcomed another son, Andrew, into their family.

A man who never failed to see the humor in life, John was always good for a laugh, often sharing his coal mine poetry and observations about the world around him. A devoted husband and father, he was always the loudest supporter at his children’s sporting events, his ever-present cowbell ringing proudly. He supported his children’s endeavors no matter how unusual they might have been. A lifelong DIYer, there wasn’t a tool or project he wouldn’t tackle for his family or friends. John saw the best in people and treated everyone he encountered with kindness and compassion.

A lifelong lover of the outdoors, John enjoyed hunting, fishing, RZR rides, and any opportunity to be outside. He passed along his love of music—especially Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Waylon Jennings—to his children. He was an avid Steelers fan who knew every player from the Chuck Noll years to the present.

John is survived by his wife of 44 years, Dolores; his son Matt and wife Amy of Rock Springs, Wyoming; his son Andrew and fiancée Megan of Rock Springs, Wyoming; grandchildren Duke and Mia; his furbaby Louie; grand furbabies Cash and Clifford; his brother Kevin and wife Brenda of Mount Hope, Pennsylvania; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by his parents, sister Kim Ward and Karin Jones-Nardeccia.

To our Dad:

Your pain is gone, you are with the lord. We will miss you but you have nothing to worry about. We will take care of the family. You left us too soon, but your memory will live on forever.

P.S. We won’t forget to check for critters on the road!

Love, Mathew & Andrew

A celebration of John's life will be held at a later date.