Dwaine William Jones

Dwaine William Jones, age 97, passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of April 1, 2023. Dwaine was born September 20, 1925 in Rawlins, Wyoming to parents William and Adelaide Jones. He was the oldest of 2 children and was preceded in death by his younger sister Wilma. As a young man, Dwaine would love to go hunting and fishing with his father in the mountains of Wyoming. He had a very special relationship with his mother who he adored and helped around the house as she had rheumatoid arthritis which limited her ability to do certain tasks. Dwaine and his brother-n-law and best friend Clayton Cheney, enlisted in the United States Navy in 1942 at the age of 17. After boot camp, Dwaine was put on a Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) and left for the South Pacific. From "stealing beers from the carriers" and hiding them behind an access panel to surviving a massive Typhoon, his time in the South Pacific was eventful. Dwaine was also present in Okinawa Bay on September 2, 1945 when the treaty to end WWII was signed. Dwaine's war years left him with countless stories that he would tell over and over again until the end. After his time in the service, Dwaine returned to Oregon where he worked as a mechanic in Roseburg and later moved to Downey, California where he worked as head mechanic for the city and ran the day-to-day operations of the maintenance yard for all city vehicles until he retired. During his years of working for the city, he and his department were also involved in the annual building of the Downey Rose Parade float and Dwaine drove the float in the parade for several years. While in Downey, Dwaine was an active member of Greenleaf Gardens lodge, Downey Eastern Star, York Rite, Scottish Rite and was a Al Malaikah Shriner. He was a Masonic Past Master and a Hiram Award recipient. In 1994, after he retired, Dwaine moved to Bend, Oregon where he lived with his wife Beverly until his passing. Even after retirement, Dwaine could usually be found in his shop working on cars, motorcycles, or anything with a motor. Dwaine is survived by his wife Beverly of 61 years, 7 daughters Judy, Diana, Christine, Katherine, Johnna Rae, Wendy, and Paula, 11 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and 8 great great grandchildren. A viewing will be held at Niswonger-Reynolds Funeral Home in Bend, OR on Friday April 14, 2023 from 3pm to 6pm. Funeral services will be held at Deschutes Memorial Gardens on Saturday April 15, 2023 at 10am followed by a gravesite service at 11am.

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Dwaine William Jones

September 20, 1925 - April 1, 2023