Obituary of (John) Gordon Jones

To View the Livestream and Recording of Gordon's Service Please Click Here.

 Jones, (John) Gordon

December 1, 1926 – October 29, 2023

Dad passed on Sunday morning on October 29, 2023, at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario.

He was predeceased by Gwendolyn Jones, his wife of 73 years.  In the grand scheme of things, they both died on Sundays, synchronized in death as they were in life.

Dad was born in Montreal, where he grew up playing violin, viola, piano and organ.  His love for the violin overtook all else and he received his Licentiate in Violin Performance at McGill University.

He taught violin in Stanstead College, Quebec, where he met and married Gwen, a vocal teacher and soprano soloist.  This began a lifetime of shared performances.

They moved to Toronto where he eventually became a Vice President of Johnson and Higgins, Willis and Faber Insurance Company.  This was his day job where he earned a living but after work he was a free lance musician, and this was his love. 

He played for the Opera, and Ballet, in the (then) O’Keefe Theatre, in most of the Pit Orchestras for Musicals and Plays in the Royal Alex Theatre and if you went to a show there, he would be playing in the lobby quartet!  He played for the Bolshoi Ballet when it came to Toronto and performed in Maple Leaf Stadium, the Ice Capades and even played in the back up band for Isaac Hayes where he got to play a PINK electric violin.

He and mom were stalwart members of Danforth United Church which became East Minster United where mom was a paid soloist and they performed together in anthems and Oratorios when the downtown Churches combined to perform them.

He was a member of the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra under Boris Brott, the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra under Clifford Poole and the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Orchestra and in various groups with KW Symphony members.

He spent his last year and a half at Beechwood Manor.  The staff was wonderful, and we thank them for their kind and thoughtful times with dad.

Dad missed mom dreadfully and although we feel our loss deeply we are comforted that they will be together again eternally.

Cremation has taken place. There will be no visitation, the funeral will be in the Chapel of Erb and Good Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo on Tuesday November 7, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., with a reception to follow.  A livestream will be available at www.erbgood.com

In Lieu of flowers condolences for the family and donations to Support the Musicians of the KW Symphony Go Fund Me https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-your-kwsymphony-musicians )  or First United Church may be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King Street S. Waterloo at www.erbgood.com