Celebration of the Life of Clarence “Buzz” Pearl Jones, Jr.

1936 - 2009

Clarence "Buzz" Pearl Jones, Jr. 73 of Bellingham, WA

Feb. 3, 1936

to Mar. 26, 2009

Veteran

Clarence "Buzz" Pearl Jones, Jr. passed away peacefully at home on March 26th, 2009 in Bellingham, Washington. He was born in Washington, D.C. to Clarence Pearl, Sr. and Margaret Jones on February 3, 1936. He was very bright and quite mischievous. He got into trouble in high school and had the choice of joining the U.S. Navy or going to reform school. He chose the Navy and did very well as an electronics technician. He got his GED and stayed in the Navy Reserves for 29 years after, retiring with the rank of Commander. After 6 years in the Navy, he returned to the Washington, D.C. area and completed his electrical engineering degree at the University of Maryland. He was very active in caving and climbing during this time and sponsored many trips around the U.S. His final wish is that his ashes be scattered on Mt. Shuksan at the summit. He never quite reached it during an ice climbing trip and hoped his sons would summit for him.

He met his first wife, Sandra Nurmi, who was in his climbing skills class. He immediately began work at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory (N.O.L.) in White Oak, Maryland. In 1970, he was transferred to Keyport where he quickly became the senior technical liaison between Keyport and N.O.L. He pretty much single-handedly wrote the A.T.E. (automatic test equipment) software for the Mark 48 and later, the ADCAP torpedo and received a special monetary and grade increase reward. He later received another grade increase reward, retiring as a GS-14. With his engineering degree, he qualified as an officer in the Navy and became a TACCO-Navigator in P-2's and retired at the start of the P-3 era, after 29 years. He was very active in the senior computer club in Bremerton. He married his current wife, Donna Roed, at Keyport on April 8th, 1995. They were very helpful to neighbors in the Bremerton area where he retired to. He volunteered at North Kitsap High School as a tutor, he helped with animal rescue families and enjoyed many wonderful volunteer days with the community at West Hills Elementary School.

He is survived by his wife, Donna Roed Jones, four sons, Chad (Cindee), Donovan (Tonya), Mitchem and Kieran Jones, two grandsons, Henry and Harper Jones, two step-children, Melanie (Peter) and Eric Roed, his brother, Stanley "Buddy" R. Jones, his wife Mary Jo, their many children and grandchildren, his sister, Bonnie Roden, her husband, Roger, and their many children and grandchildren.

There will be a celebration of his life in late April with his friends and family to remember this very bright, charming man.