Philip Jones, age 93, of Auburn, California passed away on Friday, March 10, 2023.
Philip passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 93 in the wee hours of March 10th, 2023, at his family home in the Lake of the Pines community of Auburn, California. His unique sense of humor, friendliness, generosity, highly developed skillset, easygoing nature and his commitment to family, friends and community will long be missed.
Phil was born on February 6th, 1930, in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to parents David Morgan Jones and Gwyneth Maria Phillips Jones. The Jones family had immigrated to Canada from Wales, Great Britain shortly after Phil’s older brother was born. Phil’s father, one of the few survivors of the Senghenydd Coal Mine disaster and having experienced the horrors of the First World War as an ambulance driver, wanted to give his new family a chance at a better life in the New World. Through hard work and dedication, the Jones family found upward mobility and Philip and his siblings were raised in three different and progressively nicer homes during his youth in Hamilton. Each home was substantially modified and improved by the hands-on effort and support of the entire family, under the direction of Phil’s father. It was during these years that Philip first learned how to work with his hands, and these skills influenced his path throughout his life. From a very early age through to his final days, Philip Jones was what today is called a ‘maker’.
On the 20th of May 1952, Philip received a Certificate of Apprenticeship as a Tool & Diemaker after four years of training in a program administered by the Hamilton Central Secondary School and the Barber Die Casting Company. Philip immigrated to Chicago in June of 1953 at the age of 23 to pursue an employment opportunity as a toolmaker at the Ford Aircraft Engine Division. He purchased a brand-new red and white convertible Buick Super 88 (1955); Quite a feat for a 25-year-old! A major turning point in his life occurred when, with a group of what turned out to be life-long friends, Phil took a road trip in an old jalopy to California where he fell in love with the natural beauty and climate. He soon returned to the state and within a few years he was working for the National Ski Patrol in Mammoth Mountain, California. He applied for, passed testing, and was granted US Citizenship in June 1958.
In 1958, Philip met Barbara Pritchard at a ski lodge in Mammoth. Phil introduced himself to Barbara and helped himself to her beer. They were married in 1959 and went on their honeymoon in North Lake Tahoe. Phil and Barb set out to build a future life.
Phil worked as a toolmaker for manufacturing companies in the Los Angeles area from 1960 to 1965. Philip landed a dream job in 1965 as manager of the plastics fabrication department at MAPO (short for Mary Poppins), the fabrication arm and subsidiary of WED Enterprises (an acronym for Walter Elias Disney). This is where Walt Disney’s “Imagineers” designed and created all the custom items needed for Disney’s movies and theme parks. He was intimately involved in building the iconic attractions Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and many others.
Philip and Barbara had three children between 1963 and 1971. They worked hard, saved their money, and invested in real estate in California and Nevada. Phil and family modified, upgraded and improved every home they lived in. In 1978, he left Disney and the family moved to Carson City, Nevada where they had purchased a large lot and then built a beautiful custom home. Phil commuted by air every week to the San Francisco area for many years. He had left his trade as a toolmaker to pursue opportunities in technical sales, representing Los Angeles-based manufacturers in the new, fast-paced Silicon Valley.
Phil decided it was time to cease working as an employee and started his own company in 1988: Phil Jones & Associates in Palo Alto, CA. He used his knowledge of all types of manufacturing along with his extensive network of contacts to advance this company. Philip leveraged part of the family’s income to make wise investments in the stock market which helped create a secure financial future for the Jones family. The business was growing fast by 1991, and he brought on board his son Gary to help. Together, they started a manufacturing business, TouchMark, Inc., with immediate and long-term success. Phil and Barbara retired in 1997.
Philip was an avid skier and outdoorsman from his early days. He and Barbara passed this passion along to the kids and the family took regular trips to the slopes in the winters and to rivers and lakes for camping and fishing in the summers. He made the trek to the top of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental US, two times. Travel was always on the agenda with the Joneses. The family traveled all around the United States and took many camping trips in tents, campers, and motorhomes. Phil and Barb took many ski trips to resorts in North America as well as Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. They traveled extensively across the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Mediterranean. Phil and Barb gained a passion for golf later in life. They purchased their dream home in 1997 in the community of Lake of the Pines (LOP) in Auburn, CA, with a backyard overlooking the 16th fairway of the community’s private golf course.
Philip made many friends and was an active member of the LOP community over his 27 years there. He was an avid participant in the local men’s organization, The Pinesmen, whose motto is ‘Making the best place better’. He was also a member of the local branch of SIRs (Sons In Retirement), a non-profit public-benefit organization. He even acted as anchorman on the LOP public access News Channel 7.
Philip was preceded in death by his daughter Dana in 1968, his mother Gwyneth, his father David, his brother Raymond, his brother Dilwyn, and Barbara; The love of his life and wife of 63 years who passed away only 2 months prior. He is survived by his sister Verna, his son Gary, his daughter Lesley, his grandson Brendon, and his great-granddaughter Lennon along with his nieces Janice, Diane and Patsy.
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