Roger Delano Jones, 83, of Murrysville, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was born January 9, 1939, in Brownsville, PA, son of the late Donald and Ruth Jones. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by two brothers, Gilbert (Sharon) Jones and Donald Jones, and nieces Denise Jones VanSickle and Kimberly Jones Kelbel.
After graduating high school, Roger enlisted in the Navy in 1958. He served four years, active duty as Fleet Tactical Support on the U.S. Pacific Fleet Squadron 21 and was stationed at Naval Air Station Barbers Point on O'ahu. He was honorably discharged in 1962 and continued to serve two years in the Reserves. He then moved back home to Pittsburgh and enrolled in the Maison Felix Beauty School where he met Barbara Fisher, his bride-to-be. The couple were married in 1967 and shortly after opened their own salon, Coiffures 700, in downtown Wilkinsburg which they jointly owned and operated for almost 30 years. While Barbara continued operating their salon, Roger went to work at Westinghouse and ended his career in 2007 with Dominion Gas as a Station Operator. When he finally did retire, he was asked what he was going to do now, he responded, “I’ve worked every day since I was 14 years old, I’m not going to do a d*mn thing.” This was not entirely the case however as shortly after retiring he fought like hell to beat pancreatic cancer for the next two years. He became a snowbird, traveling to Florida each winter for a few months and attending more baseball, basketball, and swim meets of his beloved grandchildren than he ever imagined. In addition, he absolutely loved and hated Pittsburgh sports, most notably the Steelers. He and his wife attended Super Bowl XIII in Miami, XIV in Pasadena and XLIII in Tampa, thanks to his nephew Randy Jones.
Roger was tough and could be counted on for always “telling it like it is.” He was a firm believer in working hard with no complaints; no matter what job you have, you always go above & beyond and be proud of your work. He instilled this unmatched work ethic and toughness into his daughters. They, along with his grandchildren were his proudest achievements.
Roger will be dearly missed by his wife of over 55 years, Barbara Fisher Jones; two daughters, Kelly (Joseph) Thomas, Dina (Jeremy) Hunsinger; five grandchildren, Joseph, Holden, Delaney, Reese, and Sadie; a sister-in-law, Barbara Jones and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation is Thursday, November 17, 2022, from 12 to 2 p.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hart Funeral Home, Inc., Murrysville at which time a Funeral Service will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Roger’s name to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org), an organization that helped him carry the rare distinction of survivor. Internment will be private. www.hartfuneralhomeinc.com
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