Wayne Jones

Wayne Rex Jones, age 77, went to be with the Lord on October 21, 2021. He was surrounded by his loving daughters, grandson, and his loving partner. He was born in Owatonna, Minnesota to Mary Cecelia and Rex Irwin Jones on July 3, 1944. Wayne was born while his father was serving overseas in the U.S. Army Air Corp during WWII.

Wayne was a 1962 graduate of Orangeville High School, served his country in the Army National Guard and continued to take courses in higher education to further his career. He married his high school sweetheart, the late Janet (Jan) Charlene Miller on August 12, 1967. God blessed their marriage with two beautiful daughters: Renee Marie (Jones) Prine and Michelle Ann (Jones) DalPra.

As a child, Wayne loved cars. He could identify all the different makes and models, so it was very appropriate that he worked in the auto industry. Wayne went to work at the Chrysler Corporation plant in Belvidere, IL starting out on the assembly line and retiring 34 years later as a supervisory engineer.

Wayne’s love for his family was followed by his love for having a good time. He enjoyed meeting new people and made friends wherever he went.

He liked to be involved in the organizations and community events that he strongly believed in. He was a member of the NRA, Lombardi and Venetian Clubs, the convertible club, as well as supporting the arts visiting Starlight Theater and other performances and community events. Wayne was also a member and grounds volunteer at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Rockford.

Wayne’s parents introduced him to fishing when he was young, and he enjoyed fishing his entire life. He especially liked fishing Table Rock Lake and Lake Summerset with his friends and family. He loved gardening and being outside. He and his family were members of the Ski Broncs Water Ski Show Team for over 20 years. He watched his daughters ski and drove the safety boat, known as “Jaws”, to support them. He was a protector, a provider, and a deeply supportive father and grandfather. He often enjoyed watching his grandson play travel and high school baseball. He had a close relationship with his friends and neighbors and would gather on Mondays for “East Drive Happy Hour”. He would enjoy the company and laughter of his friends and family with a Miller 64 or a Vanilla Porter in hand. Wayne was known to be able to fix just about anything. Being an engineer was natural for Wayne with his ability to fix and tinker with any given project.

Wayne loved to travel, having spent time traveling to numerous US states including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as places like Australia, New Zealand, Italy, the Virgin Islands, and Europe. One of his favorite places to visit was Sanibel Island, FL where Wayne and his loved ones went every fall. They have quite a shell collection that was accumulated over the years along with many happy memories of good times together.

Wayne was preceded in death by the love of his life, his wife Janet (Jan) Charlene Jones and his loving parents, Rex and Mary Jones.

Wayne is survived by his daughters Michelle Ann (Nicholas) DalPra and Renee Marie (Shawn) Prine, his grandson Logan Jones Prine, his loving partner Christine Frantal, sister VeLoris (Jim) White, nephew Timothy Lee (Cassandra) Blankenhorn, great-niece Emily Marie Blankenhorn, great-nephews Jackson Lee Blankenhorn and Samuel Lee (Haley) Blankenhorn, a great-great-niece Lillian Marie Blankenhorn, and many beloved cousins.

The family would like to thank the amazing doctors, nurses, PT’s, RT’s and CNA staff at OSF St. Anthony for taking care of Wayne… you know who you are, and you are all special people, thanks for fighting for him and with him.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the family to further their efforts of establishing memorial contributions in memory of Wayne.

A visitation will take place Saturday October 30th between the hours of 8am and 10:45am at St. Bernadette's Catholic Church, prior to the funeral mass. Funeral mass will take place Saturday, October 30th at 11am at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, located at 2400 Bell Ave, Rockford, IL 61103.