Robert (Bob) Kennedy Jones

Robert (Bob) Kennedy Jones

Robert (Bob) Kennedy Jones

1920-2016

Robert (Bob) Kennedy Jones, 95 years of age, was called home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 12, 2016, at Gold County Country Retirement Center in Placerville, California. He was surrounded by his family when God called him home. Bob was born in San Francisco, California on November 11, 1920 to Robert and Katie Kennedy Jones originally from Ireland. He was preceded in death by his little brother John, and his parents.

As a child Bob spent part of his time growing up in Ireland at a very young age, and the rest of his youth in San Francisco and Hollister, California where his father owned a large apricot and prune orchard off the Santa Ana Valley Road. He attended junior high and high school in San Francisco California. While growing up Bob was an active participant in Christian Endeavors which was a youth group affiliated with the Portalhurst Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. After becoming a Christian, Bob was selected to serve as a junior elder in his church, committing to Christian principles which he followed for the rest of his life. Bob was also very active in the Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of “Life” scout, having earned numerous merit badges. After graduating from Polytechnic High School in San Francisco he attended college majoring in electrical engineering. After the untimely passing of his father in 1940, Bob took over the management of his father’s ranch in Hollister and the co-management of other assets along with his mother in the family’s real estate and development business.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Bob enlisted in the United States Navy. After basic training in San Diego he took a series of tests with the Navy over the next six weeks, resulting in his promotion to Motor Machinist’s Mate Second Class (E-5). Bob then served as a Navy instructor providing several classes on electricity and trouble-shooting electrical circuits. Following his role as an instructor, Bob served throughout the duration of World War II in the Pacific Theatre on three ships: the USS APC 27, USS Rebuilder (YFD 21), and the USS Laurens (APA 153) – an attack transport class vessel with 23 Higgins boats, or landing craft known as LCVP’s. Half way through the war Bob was promoted to Chief Motor Machinist’s Mate – Chief Petty Officer (E-7). Bob saw combat action throughout the war participating a total of 11 amphibious landings in the South Pacific, nine of the landings conducted under hostile fire on islands held by the Japanese, with air cover provided only one time during the nine opposed landings. In all total, Bob participated in a total of 22 landings and occupations, only losing two of the Higgins boats in his charge to enemy fire. After the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, onboard the Battleship USS Missouri, Bob returned to San Francisco to continue to work in the family business.

Just prior to separating from active duty in December of 1945, Bob attended a dance in San Francisco sponsored by the US Navy. This is where Bob met the love of his life, Dorothy Carter of Fairfax Missouri, who was also in attendance at the dance as a US Navy Petty Officer Second Class. Bob and Dorothy were married in June of 1947 in Maryville Missouri. Bob and Dorothy raised three children Elizabeth Ann, Martha Jane, and Robert John, living first in Oakland and then in Walnut Creek, California from 1955 to 1989 when they moved to Placerville, California to be closer to their cabin located in Camino. While making their home in Walnut Creek Bob was active in Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church and was a strong supporter of the David C. Cook Sunday Pix, a Christian Sunday School Program publication. Bob and his wife Dorothy were also avid and strong supporters of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Bob loved the sea, and as an experienced sailor he enjoyed sailing and taking his friends and family out on his sailboat on the San Francisco Bay. He also enjoyed riding bicycles with his two daughters and motorcycles with his son Bob, tending to his orchard and grapes, building clocks and small steam and gasoline engines, working in his machine-shop, gold prospecting, and working and riding on his tractor. Bob will be missed by all who knew him for his great sense of humor, superior finish-carpentry skills, ability to diagnose and repair almost anything, ability to manufacture almost any part in his machine-shop no longer made, and ability to solve almost any complicated electrical or engineering problem with little effort.

Bob was a wonderful husband to his wife Dorothy for more than 68 years, and a great father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, daughter Ann (Bob), daughter Martha (Don), son Bob (Suzanne), grandchildren, Ed, Dan, Julie, Brent, Eric, and Katie; and greatgrandchildren Enoch, Alexandria, Steven, and Matthew.

Services are scheduled at the Walkup Grove Cemetery, Fairfax, founded by Jim Walkup – Dorothy’s great-grandfather, for 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 30, 2016. In memory of Bob, donations may be made to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

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