Bob was a valued employee and Vice President at Ameritas where he worked for 40 years and 3 days. Bob knew and made friends with everyone at Ameritas, from the security guard to the CEO. Bob and Mary Alice were charter members of St. Marks United Methodist Church. Bob was also involved with Cotner Masonic Lodge and his children’s Boy Scouts. After retirement, Bob and Mary Alice were active volunteers with the Red Cross, providing comfort and care to countless people devastated by fires and natural disasters at home in Lincoln and across the country. One of Bob’s dreams was to turn on the siren and lights of the van they drove to local fires, one which his wife wisely dissuaded him from. Bob and Mary Alice also became active volunteers at Bryan Hospital, welcoming new patients during registration.
Bob and Mary Alice loved to travel, providing many opportunities for them to practice their love of photographing nature. To his family’s chagrin, each trip resulted in a family-wide slide show (often set to music) with the extended family—grandchildren and all—congregated in the living room to watch the 1—2 hour slide show. Bob and Mary Alice continued to travel in Bob’s later years, particularly revisiting Big McDonald Lake in Northern Minnesota each year to fish, another of Bob’s favorite past times. In his later years, Bob and Mary Alice became residents at The Landing where Mary Alice was Bob’s constant companion side-by-side walking to the dining room or the library.
Bob and Mary Alice lovingly raised four children, Randy, Martha, Rick, and Michelle. Bob was fiercely proud of his children, watching countless recitals, concerts, games, and plays, and enjoying summer vacations travelling and camping. Bob continued his unwavering support of his family with his adoration of his grandchildren, attending countless choir concerts; volleyball, baseball, and soccer matches; ballet recitals; and graduations. Bob was unendingly generous to his family, and he had an unassuming way of making you feel both seen and important.
Bob was enthusiastic about his Welsh heritage, which was instilled in him from an early age. He was baptized at the Welsh speaking Bethel Church near Wymore and gathered with many family members during holidays at his Aunt Edith Pennington’s house in Wymore. You can imagine hearing the echoes of excited family chatter as meals were prepared, games played, and family conversation ensued.
Bob was a lover of tradition, and a faithful, humble, principled man. He was committed to his values: family, faith, and community. He wasn’t one to do things half-way, and he committed his whole heart to the things and people he loved. Wherever Bob went, he made friends with his natural storytelling and curiosity about others. When you were with Bob, all of his attention was with you, whether he was telling you a story or asking you questions.
Bob is rejoiced to be in Heaven with those that pre-deceased: His mother, father, step-mother, and cousins. Left with a lifetime of memories is Bob’s wife, Mary Alice Jones, his four children and their spouses, Randy and Melina (Cather) Jones, Martha (Jones) and Marc Guthrie, Rick and Lisa (Hanson) Jones, and Michelle (Jones) Williams-Cox and Robert Cox. Bob savored his grandchildren Elisabeth Nastachowski, Lindsay Jazwinski, Austin Jones, Rose Cox, Jake Williams, Xandra Parral, Leah Williams, Em Cox, Thomas Cox, David Jones, and Anna Jones and his great-grandchildren Harrison Nastachowski, Ellie Jazwinski, Lucy Brewington, Arthur Nastachowski, and Brooks Jones.
Visitation will be Thursday, 10/19/2023 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Roper & Sons Midtown Chapel, 4300 ‘O’ Street.
Funeral Service will be held on Friday, 10/20/2023 at 9:30 a.m. at Roper & Sons Midtown Chapel.
Memorials may be made to Lincoln Area Agency On Aging.