PEABODY, Mass. – Ralph T. Jones passed away April 18, 2011. Born and raised in Bangor, he was a son of the late Ralph T. Jones Sr. and the late Annie (Barnes) Jones.
Mr. Jones was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. After his honorable discharge from the Army, Ralph moved to Massachusetts to work at Tufts Dental School. Shortly thereafter he met his wife, Ruth. Ralph was employed as a bacteriologist for General Foods/Atlantic Gelatin, Woburn, Mass., retiring after 29 years. Ralph was an avid ecologist, developing his love of nature and ecology as a child. Ralph passed this love and the importance of conservation to his children.
Ralph was predeceased by his wife, Ruth (Durkee) Jones, in 2010; and by his sister, Anita Jones. He is survived by two daughters, Linda Zehler and her husband, Daniel, and Laurel Roebuck and her husband, Bill; one son, Dana R. Jones and his wife, Janie; his grandchildren, Stephanie (Zehler) and Ross Congo, Christina Zehler, Kimberly (Zehler) and Taylor Boten, David Roebuck, Christopher Roebuck, Jason and Stacy Roebuck, Jennifer Dreher and Heather Dreher; three great-grandchildren, Nathaniel, Madyson and Wyatt; his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Lehr; his brother-in-law, the Rev. Robert M. Durkee and his wife, Elaine; many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at Chapel at Brooksby Village, 300 Brooksby Village Drive, McIntosh Building, Peabody, Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to SMD Charity Fund, 142 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148; Brooksby Village Benevolent Fund, attention: Gift Planning, 300 Brooksby Village Drive, Peabody, MA 01960 or American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.