Vincent Wendel Jones

Vincent Wendel Jones was born on March 31, 1930 in Long Beach, California to John W. and Lydia Nielsen Jones. He passed away on June 11, 2017 at age 87 in Walnut Creek, California.

Vince was the youngest of three children (Lucile Wilner, Spencer Jones). He was three years old at the time of the Long Beach earthquake, which was his first vivid  memory. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach and served as the school’s first student body president. He then moved to New Hampshire where he attended Dartmouth College. At Dartmouth, Vince studied Political Science and played on the varsity football team. He also developed an interest in flight during this time and earned his private pilot’s license. He graduated with honors (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1952, and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford University in Oxford, England.

At Oxford, Vince studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and took up the game of rugby. He played in the Varsity Match vs. Cambridge, and later as a team captain he toured Australia competing with the American All-Star team. During his time in England, he piloted a small plane on many adventures with classmates. When he returned to the states, Vince attended Stanford Law School where he earned his law degree in 1957. After graduation, he married Laurine Ellis. They later divorced.

After earning his law degree, Vince joined the law firm of Brobeck, Phleger and Harrison. Several years later, he was recruited to work as General Counsel for Hilp & Rhodes, a commercial builder in San Francisco.

In 1964, Vince joined the western region of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. and returned to southern California. He eventually moved to Chicago to work as General Counsel for the Sears subsidiary, Coldwell Banker.

In his later years, Vince lived in Concord, California near family and actively pursued many business interests. He enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, staying abreast of current events, and overseeing projects in southern and northern California. He is survived by his four children: Lydia Jones, Valerie (David) McCubbins, Justin (Marci) Jones, and Emily (Charles) Larsen; thirteen grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.    

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