Rowland Edward Jones, 90, of Lakeside, Oregon, passed away peacefully Saturday, April 26, 2025 with his beloved companion of six years, Barbara Holloway by his side.

Rolly was born August 4, 1934 in Pendleton, Oregon to Albert and Florence Jones. He was the youngest of three boys growing up in Walla Walla, Washington, and at a strapping 6 foot 2 inches was considered the shortest of their brood.

During his childhood, a lung infection scarred his lungs so badly doctors told him he would never play sports. So Rolly took up swimming and a musical instrument to strengthen his lung capacity. As a result, he became a champion swimmer, and his French horn playing would earn him a spot in the Washington Symphony and a music scholarship offer to the University of Washington. But it was the military call that he would answer to. After a few years at Whitman College, where he pledged the Sigma Chi fraternity, Rolly joined the United States Air Force in 1954, and accepted as a commissioned officer in 1956.

It was during his officer training at Harlingen Airforce Base in Texas that he met his first wife, Wanda Ruth Holt. He was subbing in on upright bass in a jazz combo at the Officer's Club that night, and she was home for Christmas break from SMU and had come to hear the jazz. They were married for 11 years and had two children together, Rowland Scott Jones, and Ronda Gay Jones.

Rolly spent 20 years in the US Air Force as a Strategic Air Command navigator, flying B-52s during the Vietnam war, and attaining the rank of Major. He continued taking university classes and earned his BA in Economics/Business Administration from Park College in Missouri in 1974. By the time he retired from the Air Force in 1974, he had also married again. He and his second wife, Sue, moved to Mountain Home, Idaho, where he started a successful hydroponic farming business, becoming the exclusive supplier of tomatoes to the regional Albertson's grocery stores in Idaho. He was proud to call himself a farmer, and would probably have lived out his life tending his tomatoes, but the marriage went south and Rolly quite literally went on a journey to find himself.

Being an avid hunter and fisherman, he decided to drive to Mexico to hunt Jaguar, then on to fishing in Florida, visiting family and friends along the way. He reconnected with his children from his first marriage, now fully grown, in Fort Worth, Texas, eventually ending up in Las Vegas, alone, but in the company of other retired military buddies. One of them suggested he take a good fisherman, who also happened to be a lady, out on the boat for a day. This proved another turning point in Rolly's life, as Karen was not only a good fisher, but also a wonderful partner for him. The two moved to Lakeside, Oregon, got married, and when they weren't fishing, played cards and cribbage with friends. Rolly became a grandfather, to two grandkids, from his daughter Ronda in Fort Worth. He maintained a relationship with his stepdaughter Deanna in Idaho. It was a happy life, and then Karen passed away in November of 2014. He was alone again, and heartbroken, but devoted to the life in Lakeside, so he chose to stay, even when his daughter tried to lure him back to Fort Worth with their lake house and boat.

It would be almost five years later, in 2019, that close friends would encourage him to visit the Senior Center in Lakeside to check out the card room, and get him out of the house for little while. It’s hard not to think that it was a little nudge from God that he would meet an outgoing, delightful card enthusiast named Barbara Holloway there, the friendship beginning over a game of pinochle, then conversations over a cup of tea. Little did they know a pandemic loomed around the corner that would isolate and separate the whole world. But they had found each other, in their 80s, and it only strengthened a relationship that was already warm and comforting. Barbara was by his side, holding his hand, as Rolly passed from this earth. Walt Whitman once wrote, "The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse." But Rolly's life had many verses, he was a musician, an athlete, a patriot, a hunter, a fisher, a farmer, an intellectual, a father, a husband, a boyfriend, a good friend, a brother, so many things, but before them all a child of God. He was loved and will be missed very much.

He is survived by his daughter, Ronda Jones Stucker of Fort Worth, TX; stepdaughter, Deanna Wolfe of Nampa, ID; nephew Rod Jones and his wife, Vickie of Marlow, OK; granddaughter Elizabeth Stucker of Fort Worth, TX and grandson Max Stucker of Seattle, WA.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30pm, Sunday, May 18 at the First Presbyterian Church of North Bend, 2238 Pony Creek Road in North Bend. Interment and Military service will be held at Roseburg National Cemetery at 2pm, Monday, May 19.

If you would like to honor Rolly with a memorial contribution, please consider St. Jude's Medical Hospital, or First Presbyterian Church, North Bend.

Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131. Family and friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.coosbayareafunerals.com