JONES, ORVILLE WILFORD,
83, passed away peacefully Thursday December 15th, 2011 with his family at his side.
Orville was a retired civil servant, working nearly a quarter century for the Naval Ordnance Station Louisville where he was a master Electronics Mechanic. He received many accolades from the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense for his contributions to our military, especially in the area of the "Phalanx" Close-In Weapon System, which has been instrumental in defeating anti-ship missiles and other close-in air and surface threats to the U.S. Naval Fleet. He received training in all aspects of electronics and was a graduate of the NOSL Apprentice Training Program, the National Radio Institute, and the Bryant and Stratton College which later became Sullivan University.
An avid checker player, Orville won numerous state and national tournaments. He was a member of the American Checkers Federation and inductee into the International Checkers Hall of Fame. Orville loved to travel, was an amateur astronomer and member of the Louisville Astronomical Society, a nearly 50 year resident of the Hopewell community in southeast Jeffersontown, and a long time member of Hopewell Baptist Church.Orville was born in Pekin, Indiana to Sam Louis Jones and Viola (Rippy) Jones.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers; Kenneth Jones, Hollis Jones, and Franklin Jones, and three sisters; LaVerne Wetzel, Mildred Moser, and Cletus Mae Coomer.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, LaVerne (Meredith) Jones, his six children; Deborah Dunn (Alex), Greg Jones (Bev), Kim Gensheimer, Jeff Jones (Molly), Chris Jones (Lori), and Brent Jones (Denise), 15 grandchildren, many nephews and nieces, and by two sisters; Lucille Martin of Salem, IN, and Maxine Spurgeon of Sellersburg, IN.
Visitation is 1 - 7 p.m. Monday, December 19th at Newcomer Funeral Home, 235 Juneau Drive in Middletown. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 20th at Hopewell Baptist Church, 4305 Hopewell Road, Jeffersontown, with interment at Hopewell Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy should be made in Orville's name to Hopewell Baptist Church.