Richard Sidney Jones

Richard Sidney Jones passed away on September 20, 2023, in Twin Falls, Idaho, his home since 1973. Richard was born on February 21, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan, to Albert Lincoln Jones and Helen Erma (Sands) Jones. He joined the United States Air Force on February 12, 1952, and was sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, for Basic Training. Richard was there briefly and was sent to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, to complete Basic Training. From there, he went to Keesler Air Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, to Technical School to become an Airborne Radio Operator. After Technical School, Richard was sent to Sewart Air Base in Smyrna, Tennessee, for training and flying exercises. He made trips on an airplane called a C-119 Flying Boxcar. This airplane carried troops and equipment. Richard’s job was to tend radios and position reports, maintain ground station control, and assist in dropping paratroopers and equipment in training exercises for the Air Force and Army. He was not thrilled with the dangers of flying on these airplanes. Reluctantly, the Air Force reassigned Richard to a Ground Radio Station as a Radio Operator. From that assignment, he went to Neubiberg Air Force Base in Munich, Germany. There, he was a member of the Military Affiliated Radio System known as MARS. When Richard returned to the States, he spent two years at Selfridge Air Force Base in Mount Clemens, Michigan. During this time, he received cross-training in the communications/electronic field as a Long-Distance Toll Test Operator. About 1958, Richard was transferred to Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden, Germany. There, he met and began dating Gloria Ann Dixon. They were married in November of 1960. In 1963, Richard was reassigned to Fort Lee, in Petersburg, Virginia, to work in the Washington Air Defense sector. The Air Force had a small telecommunication building on this Army post. After this tour, he was sent to Tok Junction, Alaska, working with RCA ALASCOM, supplying telephone communications to the lower 49 states—(at that time, there were only 48 states) from Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska. Richard was stationed there when, on March 27, 1967, they had the big Alaska earthquake. From Alaska, he was reassigned to Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas. Here, Richard handled communications accounts and was a Long-Distance Toll Operator providing telephone, telegraph, and data line communications to various military installations. In 1967, Richard was reassigned to Sembach Air Force Base near Kaiserslautern, Germany. He was stationed on a mountaintop about 20 miles from the base near Steinbach, Germany. Here, he supplied microwave radio relay communications to various local military installations. In 1970, Richard was again reassigned to Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Grandview, Missouri, where he was a Communications Account Custodian. On December 1, 1973, Richard retired from the United States Air Force and moved to Twin Falls, Idaho. Some of Richard’s career highlights include visiting 40 of the then 48 states (now there are 50). He was assigned to Munich, Germany, where he spent ten days below deck in a troop ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The ship landed at Rabat, North Africa, and he flew to Munich. Richard was in Alaska in 1964 during the big earthquake. He had temporary duty in Saudi Arabia, where temperatures reached 130 degrees and the wind and dust storms reached 30-40 miles per hour. Richard also visited the Azores, Gander, Newfoundland, Shannon, Ireland near London, England, and Paris, France, where he saw the Eiffel Tower. Richard was married in Basel, Switzerland, and spent time in Mexico and Canada. After retiring from the Air Force, Richard worked for Sears and Roebuck Company for eight years and the City of Twin Falls for 18 years. He was a member of the Catholic Church for more than 50 years. He was also involved with the Masonic Lodge, Eastern Star, the Knights of Columbus, and American Legion. Richard is survived by his wife, Gloria, of nearly 63 years; their daughter, Holly Dean, and her husband, Larry; their children, Nicole Romano and Marc Brewster, and his wife, Alice; and daughter Julie Huerta, and her husband, John; and their children, Sidney, Dante, Aubrie, Slatter, Paige, Addison, and Dawson. He is also survived by great-grandchildren Anthony Romano, Arianna Romano, Ajay Romano, and John Hudson Huerta; sister-in-law Janean Stocker, and children Ralph Stocker and Janelle Larson and her husband, Larry; brother-in-law Jim Clark (Pam) and children LeAnn (Kevin) Carreno and Doug Clark, and his wife, Raelean, and many other nieces and nephews. Richard was predeceased by by his parents Albert Lincoln Jones and Helen Erma (Sands) Jones, his sister-in-law, Shirley Clark, brother-in-law, Dick Stocker, and great grandson Brandon Hayes Huerta. A viewing will be held from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at Wilks Magic Valley Funeral Homes, 2551 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho, with a memorial mass to be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at St. Edwards Catholic Church, 161 6th Ave E., Twin Falls, Idaho. Interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Park with military honors provided. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family in the guestbook below.