Obituaries » Gary L. Jones
Gary L. Jones
July 23, 1949 - February 10, 2023
Service Date: February 14, 2023
Funeral Home Memorial Services of Iowa
Gary Lynn Jones, age 73, of Ankeny, IA passed away February 10, 2023.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church (510 E. 1st St., Ankeny, IA), with burial to follow at Ankeny Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 13, 2023, also at the church. Mass will be livestreamed at www.OLIH.org Click on mass-livestream, funerals.
Gary was born July 23, 1949, in Belle Plaine, IA. He was the son of Howard and Frieda (Huedepohl) Jones and grew up on a farm near Keystone, IA.
After graduating from Benton Community School, he attended the University of Northern Iowa where he obtained his degree in Marketing. It was during that time he met his wife Mary (Lawler), and they were married in Vail, IA, on June 19, 1971. They were blessed to share 51 years together. He had two amazing children: Melinda (Easter) and Matthew.
Gary began working for UPS in 1970 and remained there for the following 28 years. One of his first assignments was to open a UPS office in Cheyenne, WY, since UPS did not yet have an office west of the Missouri river. His job also took him to Waterloo, Fort Dodge, Des Moines, and Omaha. After he left UPS, he worked for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield for the next 20 years.
After his UPS career, he became more active in his church, Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church (OLIH). He assisted in the remodeling of the worship space starting in 2010, attended the Christian Experience Weekend, and was a 4th Degree knight and member of the honor guard in the Knights of Columbus. One of his favorite things to do at church was organizing and cooking meals for a variety of events.
Gary was a beloved husband, dad, papa, brother, uncle, friend, and loved one to his many family members and friends. He was kind, humble, and generous and shared his love of others through hard work, meticulous planning, wise advice, meals he made, and always with a joke, smile, or a hug.
He is survived by his wife Mary; his daughter Melinda (Easter) and her husband, Kris, and children Cormac, Connor, and Emelia; and his son Matthew and his wife, Kristi, and children Beckett and Sheridan. He also leaves behind his sister, Dorothy (Dale) Selk, his two brothers Darlo Jones and Richard (Judy) Jones, many in-laws, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Jeanette (Delbert) Selk, brother-in-law Ed Lawler, sister-in-law, Betty Stoneking; and his in-laws, John and Catherine Lawler.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church or to EveryStep Kavanagh House.