Dennis J. Jones

MENDOTA - Dennis John Jones, 70, of Mendota passed away Aug. 5, 2020 at home after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Holy Cross Church Mendota with Father Peter Pilon officiating. The Mass will be broadcast from a speaker in the church parking lot and able to view on Zoom at https://us02web.zoomus/j/9138050856 with meeting ID 913 805 0856. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, Mendota with military rites by Mendota VFW Post 4079. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10 at the Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota with a 3:15 p.m. Rosary. Masks and social distancing are required at the funeral home and church.

Dennis was born Sept. 24, 1949 in Amboy to Sylvester “Barney” and Hilda (Chaon) Jones. He married the love of his life, Janet Wagner, on March 15, 1969 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in West Brooklyn. Together with family they celebrated 51 years of marriage this year.

Survivors include his wife; son, Robert Jones of La Crosse, Wis.; daughter, Meredith (Brian) Janssen of Story City, Iowa; son, Jason (Brandi) Jones of Rockford; five grandchildren, Payton, Tayler, Baylie, and Hayden Janssen and Elle Jones; seven siblings, Raphael (June) Jones, Judy (Walter) Piller, Sylvester “Butch” (Mary) Jones, James (Peg) Jones, Connie (Jerry) Northcutt, Stephen (Jan) Jones, and Debbie (Mark) Walter; as well as many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and great-great-nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister-in-law, Margarite Jones.

Dennis was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend who had no enemies. To know him was to love him. He was committed to his faith and his family, as well as to his job at HCC, Inc. in Mendota where he worked for over 47 years. For most of those years he was an engineer and was part of multiple patents before retiring in 2015. He lived his life with a “do it right the first time” mentality. He could fix or build anything, and when an idea for something needed was presented he would often start by saying, “I wonder if a guy could…” and then he would. Of course, the engineer in him started every project with a drawing. Dennis gained the respect of all who knew him and was the person that everyone went to for advice. He always put others first. After being told by his doctor that due to his advanced condition there was no treatment, the doctor said, “I am very sorry” to which Dennis replied, “I’m sure it’s not easy for you to share that news” in an attempt to console his doctor. Simply put, Dennis was a great man who will be missed by many.

Dennis loved being with his wife, Janet, and spending time with family and friends. He adored all of his seven siblings and would look forward to them all getting together. His grandchildren meant the world to him and he cherished getting to watch them play sports and perform. He would often give them advice on how they could improve just like he did to his own children. Dennis always looked forward to his Friday night “meetings” at Main Street Station with his buddies from HCC, especially after his retirement. He served for six years in the Army Reserves and was a member of the Elks Lodge and Holy Cross Catholic Church in Mendota. He made the world a better place, and there will be a huge void in many people’s lives due to his passing.

Memorials may be directed to Holy Cross Catholic Church, the American Cancer Society or the donor’s choice.