Wayne Arthur Jones

Wayne Arthur Jones was born June 6, 1935 in Stilwell, OK to William Arthur Jones and Sylvia Mae Frazier Jones.  He passed away Tuesday, September 5, 2023 in Tulsa, OK at the age of 88. He attended the first and second grade in the small community of Peavine.  When he was eight years old the family moved to Blackwell, OK where he continued his education.  He went to work at an early age, his first job was working on a seismograph crew in Hill City, KS realizing he missed his mom’s fine home cooking he returned to Blackwell where he went to work at the International Milling Co. then to the Blackwell Zinc Smelter.  Not one to be satisfied working a hot and dirty job, he took a course in mechanical drafting and also a welding course.  He applied for a job with the Boeing Company in Wichita, KS where he passed the welding test and was hired.  He worked there until 1968 when he took a job with the Crane Carrier Company, in Tulsa OK, a custom truck builder.  He retired from Crane Carrier as a welding supervisor after twenty seven years.

Growing up in Blackwell he enjoyed a fun filled childhood. He had a paper route as a young boy and on cold, wintry mornings would try to get his younger brother, Al, to help him with his deliveries.  More often than not, Al preferred a warm bed to helping big brother.  He bought and paid for his first bicycle with earnings from his paper route.  Riding bicycles, swimming in the muddy Chickaskia river, hunting squirrels, rabbits and doves with his friends and of course racing his 39 Ford around Kay County were some of the high lights.

He met Lee Ann Buffalohead at the skating rink in Ponca City, OK and that was the beginning of a love affair that lasted 66 years.

Thomas Wayne Jones, their only child was born on Thanksgiving Day 1957. Wayne and Tom would form a bond that lasted a lifetime.  Watching Tom play football, taking him camping and fishing and letting him have the 1969 Chevelle, the envy of all the young guys in town, made him a proud dad.

Wayne enjoyed fishing, boating, and camping and was a very good photographer.  He took hundreds of pictures of their vacation travels and many of the pictures are framed and hang on the walls of their home. He was a fan of country music and Merle Haggard but his passion was riding motorcycles.  He would own many bikes over the years, touring bikes, a cruiser and several dirt bikes. He, Tom, Bill and Jeremy spent many fun filled weekends riding around the rocky terrain of Camp Gruber.

Wayne and Lee Ann spent thirty-five years taking fabulous vacations on their motorcycles.  They traveled from coast to coast and visited Canada twice. They enjoyed the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park and Banf National Park just a few of the many beautiful and scenic places they were fortunate enough to visit.  Avoiding deer, moose and badgers in the road, bears scampering across in front of the bike and riding through a herd of buffalo along with waiting for a herd of sheep to cross the road were just some of the things he enjoyed on their trips.  Wind, rain, sleet and hail were a few of the things he didn’t enjoy.

He was a true family man, loved animals and was saddened when both faithful dogs, Rusty and Beau crossed over the rainbow bridge.  He had a fondness for Ford cars and F150 pickups, shiny red motorcycles and relaxing on the deck he built around a sycamore tree in his back yard.

His favorite foods were strawberries and fresh tomatoes out of the garden and a cold Dr. Pepper.  He was an OU football fan from the time he was a teenager. He could tell you the names of the quarterbacks, the score of the bowl games they won and almost any of the stats of the games.

He was a life long democrat and very proud of the fact.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two older brothers and his maternal and paternal grandparents.  He is survived by his wife Lee Ann of the home in Collinsville, his son Tom Jones and wife Cathy of Broken Arrow, OK, his grandson Bill Jones and wife Connie of Broken Arrow, OK his grandson Jeremy Jones of Catoosa, OK and one very special great granddaughter who was the light of his life Hannah Jones of Broken Arrow and one brother Alfred Jones of Blackwell, OK.

At this time on Wayne’s behalf I want to thank all of my friends and family who have encouraged and supported us on this painful and long journey.

A special thanks to our son Tom and both grandsons, Bill and Jeremy, for their help with sitting, mowing and building projects. Sharon Goodwin for all her support and being right there with me the entire time.  Alena Nelson who constantly worried about my health.  Buddy Brown for all the help and advice when I found out there are just some things a woman can’t do on her own. Dottie Bowler who was always available when I needed a break. Sherrie Sevart for all her patience and kindness when cutting Wayne’s hair.

Lynne Thompson and Pam Thompson for their help in presenting this memorial to Wayne. And Carolyn Kinney closing this service with prayer.

Another special thanks to Angela, Carrie, Gigi, Dawn and Jamie of The Good Sheperd Hospice team and Porta Caeli House in Tulsa for their kindness and care

This has been a long, hard journey and as bad as I hate to say goodbye Wayne is no longer in pain and is at peace now. I will love him forever.

Funeral services will be 12:00 pm, Friday, September 8, 2023 at the Collinsville Dolton Funeral Home. Interment will follow at 3:00 pm at the Stilwell Cemetery in Stilwell, OK.

Funeral services are under the direction of Collinsville Dolton Funeral Home.