Robert (Bob) Allen Jones, age 94, of Columbia, Maryland, passed away at Lorien Encore on December 6, 2023 with his wife and family members at his side. He was born on July 30, 1929 in Bristol, Pennsylvania. He spent his earliest years in Dundalk, Maryland and Buffalo, New York before his parents Fred and Anne (Koshman) Jones moved to Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from North High School in Columbus in 1947. Bob graduated from the Ohio State University in 1951, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later studied for three years at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In New York, he worked as a graphic artist for NBC and free lanced in graphics and design work. He returned to Columbus, Ohio in 1961 to become the Art Director for WOSU-TV, then named, the Ohio State University Educational Television station. In 1967, he took the position of Graphics Arts Manager for the State of Maryland Educational Television network which was under development at that time. The development team worked to design what was to become the Maryland Center for Educational Broadcasting in Owings Mills, Maryland. Today it is known as Maryland Public Television (MPT.) He assumed all Graphic Arts responsibilities including graphics, photography and scenic design. The Graphics department at MPT won many national awards and Bob was proud of a Tri-National Conference he co-chaired, in Hawaii, with graphic arts personnel from Canada, Japan and the United States. Before his retirement in 1997, MPT moved its graphics department into the use of new technologies in television graphics production.
During his retirement, he enjoyed learning to use water colors and to paint on his iPad along with taking piano lessons, traveling to many foreign destinations, reading about developing technologies and watching birds. He also enjoyed participating in PaintIT! Ellicott City. He especially enjoyed drawing with grandnieces and grandnephews who visited from Ohio and Georgia. He always enjoyed visits from and to family and friends who lived nearby or outside of Maryland.
He is survived by his wife, Thea Copanos Jones, his brother-in-law, James Copanos of Rio Rancho, NM, his sister-in laws, Mary Ann Economos (Nick) of Atlanta, Georgia and Diana Castile of Dalton, Ohio. Survivors also include his cousin, Kathleen (Jones) Aurelio, husband Thomas and children, Kathleen, Thomas and Marissa. His step-sister, Carole Wuest of Souderton, PA and her children, Gary and John Cugley, Debbie Tustanowsky and Amanda Wuest also survive him . In addition, his beloved nephews, Jason Castile (Kristi) of Massillon, Ohio and Jimmy Economos (Leah) and Theo Economos (Brittney) of Atlanta, GA and his beloved niece, Elisa Hershey survive him. Their children, Aiden and Alli Castile, Madeleine Economos, and Rosalia and Michael Economos have added joy to his later years.
Funeral arrangements will be done by Witzke Funeral Homes, Inc. in Columbia, MD. There will be a private interment ceremony at Crest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Marriottsville, MD.
Memorial donations may be made to Maryland Public Television, 11767 Owings Mills Blvd. Owings Mills, MD 21117 or the Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043
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