Maurice D Jones

Maurice Dean Jones passed away peacefully on September 13, 2014 due to causes incident to age. Maurice was born November 6, 1926, along with his twin sister, Marjorie, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Walter Maughan and Jane Leishman Jones.

Dad spent his youth in the Sugarhouse and Harvard/Yale neighborhoods of Salt Lake. He contracted polio at age 15 and was confined to bed for a year before he fully recovered from the disease. He graduated from East High School at age 17, enlisted in the Coast Guard and served as a radioman on a troop transport traveling between the east coast and Europe. After the war ended he served an LDS mission in the Oregon/ Washington mission, including serving in Alaska. He later earned his B.S. and Law degrees from the University of Utah. He affiliated with the Beta Theta Phi fraternity as an undergraduate.

Maurice married Diane Hunsaker in the Salt Lake Temple in September 1951. They had three children, Jeff, Margo and Annette, before Diane passed away from polio in September, 1956. Maurice married Mary Ella Evans in September 1957, in the Salt Lake Temple. She immediately became the mother of three small children; four more children were born into their wonderful family, Grant, Dan, Justin and Mary.

After graduating from law school, Dad worked for the Utah Attorney’s General office prior to being appointed a judge in the Salt Lake City Court and later in the Salt Lake Circuit Court. He was instrumental in creating the Adult Parole and Probation Volunteers Organization, and the Pretrial Services program. He also taught for many years at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada. Dad served on the bench for 35 years and at the time of his retirement was the longest serving judge in Utah history.

Maurice was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He was a gifted teacher and loved to teach in the priesthood quorums of the Church. Maurice enjoyed many activities, including teaching his seven children to ski, playing golf, and hunting ducks, geese and upland game. He also enjoyed owning and riding horses, training Labrador retrievers and fishing. He taught his children to work hard, to be courteous and kind and to give others the benefit of the doubt. He was a loyal friend to many.

Maurice is survived by his children, daughters Margo Brady (Bill), Annette Swenson (Richard), Mary Baumann (Erik) and sons Jeff (Susan), Grant (Jane), Dan (Pat) and Justin, along with 25 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Monday, September 22, 2014, at 12 noon at the Monument Park Stake Center, 1300 South Wasatch Boulevard, Salt Lake City, Utah. A viewing will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2014, from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 Highland Drive and again Monday morning from 11:00 – 11:45am prior to the funeral services. Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.

The family would like to express their appreciation to the staff of the Silverado Care Center and their loving care they provided to Dad, particularly during his last days.