Chester Jones

Chester Leroy Jones

7 December 1923 - 13 August 2018

Chester “Chet” Leroy Jones passed away peacefully on August 13, 2018 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Reno, Nevada, surrounded by family.

The youngest of three boys, Chet was born in Magna, Utah on December 7, 1923, to William and Clara Jones. When he was a young boy, his brothers nicknamed him “Ted” and that is how many people knew him throughout his life.

Chet was an accomplished musician, playing the clarinet from a young age until his golden years, for which he won many awards. He served in the Navy during WWII and is an honorable veteran. He returned from the war and met his sweetheart of 70 years, Gay Seay.

Chet graduated from the University of Utah with an engineering degree. Days later, on August 31, 1948, he and Gay married, then moved to Southern California, where he worked for North American Aviation and a number of aerospace companies throughout his career. He helped engineer NASA’s Apollo 11 Lunar Module, and the B-1 and B-2 Bombers. Chet and Gay enjoyed raising their three children in the California area, camping, shooting and riding dirt bikes.

They retired to Carson City, Nevada where they enjoyed many RV trips and living near family. Chet developed his hobbies of building model train sets and furniture, and enjoyed tinkering with projects in his workshop. “Papa” as he was known by his grandchildren, blessed the lives of his family by supporting them at many events and celebrating holidays together. Papa was known for his homemade peanut brittle, a family recipe he perfected on his own.

Chet and Gay rarely spent time apart, and when she passed in November 2017, he missed her greatly. It brings peace to know they are together again. Chet is survived by his three children, Leslie Kadz (Roger,) Ronald (Deb,) and Robert (Ginger;) his eight grandchildren, Alliy Sahagun (Jared,) Lisa Aland (Troy,) John Kadz (Alison,) Christie Anderson (Scott,) Sheena Jones, Stephanie Leunis (Jared), Jennifer Vondrak (Kyle,) and Jonathon Jones; and his 15 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 25, 11 am at Peel Funeral Home in Magna, Utah, with burial following at Valley View Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider donating to the Wreaths Across America Project (WreathsAcrossAmerica.org) or to a matter close to your heart.