Jones

William Casey Jones (“Bill”) skyrocketed into this world on New Year’s Eve, Dec 31, 1951, in Huntington, West Virginia, the firstborn of the late Catherine Dunkle Jones and G. William Jones.  Bravely and peacefully, he passed away on Nov. 6, 2025, at the age of 73, with his beloved wife and son, plus a family of lifelong friends at his side.  
He is survived by his wife and love of his life, Patricia Berry Jones; their amazing son, Christopher (Laura); their grandson, Sam; his siblings, Susan (“Chuck”), Nancy (Edward), Penny (“Mach”) and Andrew (Anita); cousins, Judy (“Don”) and David (“Tom”); and countless nieces and nephews with their own children. 
Known as Casey by his family and childhood friends, he was prone to asthma and allergies. He found solace in books on those “inside” days. Conspicuously, he was an avid reader from early childhood with a quirky curiosity, tempered by a gift for reticent observation, which matured and lasted throughout his adult life. Bill was passionate in his devotion to his family, the pursuit of the truth, the defense of his beliefs, and enthusiastically tackling his career, pastimes and hobbies. 
Bill attended Barboursville High School in West Virginia, where he played some basketball, but more so exhibited a predisposition for math, science and social studies. He won the prestigious West Virginia State Golden Horseshoe History Award. Upon his high school graduation and entry to college, Bill moved with his family to Atlanta, Georgia, where he continued to work summers with his father, who supervised the building of large-scale road construction projects. 
Bill often remarked that entering and attending Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, was a life-changing experience, opening his mind to so many opportunities and experiences. He played on the basketball team his freshman year and became a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity, where he forged strong, lifelong friendships. He graduated in 1974 with bachelor’s degrees in political science and chemistry. 
Also, while at Centre, he met and fell in love with his future, who described him as one of the most unusual and intelligent men she’d ever met. They spent hours discussing the wonders of the universe, politics and science as they balanced their seemingly opposite geographical and cultural backgrounds. It was Bill who introduced his “beach girl from Miami” sweetheart to snow sledding, exploring the woods, evening hikes to Indian Falls, and his extensive collection of rock and blues albums. They married in 1976 and welcomed their baby son, Chris, 15 months later. He loved his family dearly and took great pride in his only son and grandson. They forged a life together founded on a mutual devotion that saw them through all those good and not so good times that life can levy. 
Bill pursued an advanced degree in chemistry while working at the University of Kentucky before accepting a more lucrative position. His professional career spanned many years of service in both public and private sectors, including the federal government, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Kentucky and Louisville universities, as well as major corporations, including Ashland Chemical Co., Armco Steel/AK Steel, Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel, Granite City Steel and U.S. Steel (USS), where he progressed from laboratory chemistry and quality control to coal-fired blast furnace operations. 
Having achieved in his career what he set out to do, Bill retired early. He and Pat returned to be near family and their many lifelong friends in Central Kentucky. Bill was an enthusiastic gardener of countless varieties of vegetables, roses and flowers, enjoyed ATVing, golfing, killing clay pigeons, building humongous campfires, launching over-the-top fireworks, and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and the AARP Tax-Assistance Program. He rode horses in the Caribbean Sea in Jamaica and even learned how to “pilot” an airplane for one day as a 65th birthday gift from his wife…even though he barely fit, due to his tall stature.
Bill and Pat enjoyed attending concerts, cruises throughout the Caribbean and Europe, including multiple blues music cruises, traversing several countries in Europe, visiting Pat’s relatives in Jamaica, visiting and hosting “Casey’s” family for legendary Keeneland reunions, and vacations at their Marco Island condo. They were longtime patrons and friends of Tee Dee Young and his blues club. Most importantly, through all the good times and most trying times, in their successes and failures, health and tragic illness…they remained passionately in love and fiercely devoted to one another. 
Bill dearly loved his family. He was an enthusiastic husband and a proud father and grandfather. Friends knew Bill as an honest, loyal and generous soul who lived life to the fullest… and did it “his way.” 
A celebration of William’s life will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 2 to 5 p.m.at the Jones residence. It will be livestreamed on the Clark Legacy Center Facebook Page. Parking for the Celebration of Life is located at Clark Funeral Home, 241 Rose Hill Ave, Versailles.
In lieu of Flowers, donations to honor Bill’s legacy may be made to local humane societies, UK Children’s Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the American Heart Association, Planned Parenthood and Bluegrass Care Navigators.  
Clark Legacy Center, Versailles Road, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.ClarkLegacyCenter.com.