Russell Jones

Russell Ward Jones, 83, of Wickenburg, Arizona, passed away on September 3, 2016 at the Sante of Surprise. Russell as born January 7, 1933 to Robert Leslie Jones and Elinaore (Weatherby) Jones who both preceded him in death along with his sister Sandra. Russ was the oldest of the two children.

Russell is survived by his wife AJ and his two children David Jones also of Wickenburg and Lori Dyson of Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, Russell had three step sons - John Kilfoil, Taylor Kilfoil (Georgina) and Kris Kilfoil (Yolanda) and three step daughters - Sherry Somers (Bruce), Cassandra Myers and Jennifer Kilfoil Lee (Michael) who preceded him in death. He was the proud grandparent of eight grandchildren.

Russell was born in Denver, Colorado but was a bit of a vagabond in his life. He lived many places through his lifetime including all around the Southern California area, Eastern Washington, Reno, NV, Pleasanton, CA, San Jose, CA, Prescott Valley and Prescott, AZ. He moved to Wickenburg in 2007 where he lived in Westpark with his beloved wife AJ the final years of his life. He served on active duty during the Korean War.

Russell was an entrepreneur and business owner much of his professional life. He worked for Southern California Gas Company as a young man and become an insurance adjuster after that. He decided to become a private investigator and started his own agency in Beverly Hills - Central Bureau of Investigation - in 1964. Eventually he become a polygraph examiner and worked closely with law enforcement including the Los Angeles Police Department. In 1971 he moved his family to Reno, NV where he started yet another company, Russ Jones & Associates. After a long career as a private investigator and polygraph examiner Russell changed careers and become a Certified Financial Planner. He set up shop in Reno, NV, Las Vegas, NV, San Jose, CA and Pleasanton, CA and had a successful late career in financial planning.

In 1978 Russ accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Over the years he served as an elder and board member for his Reno Christian Fellowship, Bay Horizon Church in Santa Clara, CA, Calvary Chapel in Prescott and Wickenburg Bible Fellowship.

Active in the community, Russ served as finance chair for the Santa Clara County Boy Scouts and also as president of the Santa Clara West Rotary Club. Early on in life Russ was a member of the Young Republicans. He was a good public speaker and participated in various speakers' bureaus in California and Nevada.

Russ was a sportsman an athlete through much of his life. A lifelong fisherman, Russ loved nothing more than to throw a line in the water and work a stream. In his youth he was a great bowler who routinely won tournaments in southern California. He raced cars and boats as a young man and was a very good racquetball and handball player. Russ was a pretty good golfer although he called himself a duffer.

A Celebration of Life for Russ will be held at 2:00pm on October 1, 2016 at Wickenburg Funeral Home followed by a social gathering at Westpark.