Kenneth W. Jones of Daytona Beach Shores, FL, passed away peacefully on Oct. 18, 2022, surrounded by his loving family.
Ken was born on Jan. 4, 1939, to the late Dorothy and William Jones in Pittsburgh, PA. He was a graduate of Penn Hills High School in 1956. After high school he went to work for Westinghouse Electric Corp. as an apprentice metal pattern maker. In 1958 he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served honorably for two years. Returning home from the Army he went to work in the automotive aftermarket industry for the next 33 years. Ken married Charlene Vernon in 1963 and they raised four children who became the focus of their lives.
In 1970 Ken and Charlene moved from Penn Hills, PA to Skaneateles. They lived in the beautiful lakeside town for 40 years and never regretted the move. In 1993, Ken retired from the automotive industry and he and Charlene purchased Lakeside Video in Skaneateles which they proudly owned and operated for 18 years.
Ken’s favorite activities were spending time with his family, boating, coaching his children’s baseball and softball teams, cheering at all the hockey games, going to Watkins Glen for the races and playing golf and poker with his friends. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles where he served as a deacon. He also served on the Town of Skaneateles Planning Board and was a past president of the Lakeshore Baseball Association.
Ken and Charlene moved to Florida full-time in 2010. Ken’s retirement job was working special events at the Daytona International Speedway where he could continue to take part in his lifelong passion for sports cars and the camaraderie of the men who drove them. He was very athletic, and loved his Pittsburgh Steelers. Ken was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and coach. You never had to wonder what Ken was thinking; he didn’t pull any punches.
Ken is survived by his loving wife Charlene Jones, brother Roger (Donna) Jones, his children William Jeffrey (Nancy) Jones, Michael (Mary) Jones, Stacey (Jamie) Jenneve and Courtney (James) Alexander, his nine grandchildren, Thomas, Caitlin, Jordan, Justin, Harrison, Michael, Colin, Liam and Stacey and his great-grandson Cole, as well as many cherished nieces and nephews.
There will be a celebration of life in Ken’s honor at a later date. Donations can be made in his name to SAVES or Hospice Care.
