Robert Lewis Jones Sr.

Born on March 3, 1953, in Fort Worth, Texas, Bob lived in St. Louis and graduated early to volunteer in the U.S. Air Force in January 1972. He was a Minuteman missile mechanic proudly serving with the 100th AMMS and flying drone missions in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

He married Colleen Russell in June 1975 and started college after his honorable service and discharge in September 1975, graduating twice with two undergraduate degrees. He and Colleen had three children, Robert L. Jones Jr, Kevin T. Jones, and Eleana M. Jones. After college, he became an insurance adjuster in 1982 and divorced in 1985 before moving to Glendale, California, in 1986. Bob started law school in 1989 and graduated in 1993. He started work in a law firm with his best friend, Jack Sheppard, in insurance defense for three years and returned to insurance adjusting in 1997. He started his own company, R.L. Jones & Associates, that same year and worked for almost two decades in private investigation and insurance adjusting. He met Sammi Brazenor in 2002, and they loved their life together while traveling the world until her passing in July 2014. He remarried Erja Sandelin in May 2016 until their divorce in May 2023. Although she moved back to Finland, they remained in contact and had a wonderful friendship. Bob loved to be in love, and the last love of his life was Lina Liu. Over the last two years, she filled his life with commitment and joy.

Bob’s life was marked by his unwavering work ethic, his Irish wit, his Cheshire cat smile, and his uncanny way of making you laugh. Bob had a good heart and would help anybody in need. In 2007, he started https://100thamms.com/ after meeting some former squadron buddies and eventually helped build the veterans group until they became over 100 members strong. Bob truly cared for his squadron as he took all the duties seriously with being their webmaster and sharing their history, biographies, photos, movies, war stories, and reunions throughout the last 18 years. He loved to travel with his friends, Jack and Debra, Gary and Gayle, and Carlos and Laurie, during their many adventures around the world, and his sarcastic humor made all his journeys more than memorable.

Bob was an avid rider committed his life to supporting veterans through his local motorcycle riding chapter, Rolling Thunder, and his riding buddies in the Conejo Cruisers. His passion for riding, America, and its veterans was proudly seen through his many patriotic events, including Ride for the Flags, Ride for the Blue, Veterans Day, 4th of July, and Memorial Day riding events, along with participating in the annual Wreaths Across America. Bob could usually be seen riding, offering sage advice, and would have a beer with just about anyone, as long as you didn’t mind a little civil discourse with a proud Republican.

His love for riding and his love for his family and grandkids were beyond question as he would drive 15 - 20 hours one way to see his family. He loved to travel to see the “Jones Clan”, Stan and Deloras Jones, Jeff and Kay, Sherry and Dan, Denise and Ken, while seeing his extended family fueled his passion for filling out his family tree’s ancestry line. His family loved his mischievous smile, his commitment to American patriotism, his love of history, and his ability to have an argument with anyone, but give them a hug in the next breath. His true calling was to be a grandfather, and he beamed from ear to ear every time he saw them. His commitment to his grandchildren was beyond measure as he loved them with every fiber of his being.

Bob is survived by his son, Army Veteran Kevin Jones; his daughters-in-law, Aili Jones and Jean Jones; his brother, Jeff Jones; his sisters, Sherry Kelly and Denise Ker; and five grandchildren, Serena, Angelina, Vincent, Nevaeh, and Ethan.

Bob is preceded in death by his mother, Delores Jones, father, Air Force Veteran Stanley Jones, brother, Air Force Veteran Larry Jones, and his son, Navy Veteran Robert L. Jones Jr.

A funeral mass will be held at Saint Paschal Baylon Church in Thousand Oaks, California, on Friday, August 1st at 10:30 am. A private, gravesite internment and blessing will follow at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park, Westlake Village, following the service. A reception will be held at the Thousand Oaks Inn & Banquet Center following the graveside service.

Donations may be made, in place of flowers, in Bob’s honor to Rolling Thunder California Chapter 1 at the following memorial link: https://rollingthunderca1.com/rlj/

Mailed donations can also be sent to:

Rolling Thunder CA-1

P.O. Box 6672

Thousand Oaks, CA 91369