Wade Jones

Wade Jones passed away March 12, 2023 after a four-and-a-half-year battle with Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia. He was born at the old Miners Hospital in Park City on February 28, 1946. His parents were Byron D. Jones and Margaret Adamson Jones. He went to Marsac Elementary School. In 1953, the family, including his older sister Janet, moved to Salt Lake City. His sister Kathy was born in Salt Lake. Wade went to Whittier Elementary and Lincoln Junior High. He graduated from South High School and attended the University of Utah for four years. He also served 7 years in the Utah National Guard during this time. He dropped out of college when he got a well-paying job working for Xerox Corporation, and retired in 2005 after 35 years. He was then the home cook for the next three years, until Judi retired. Even after that, he often was the cook.

He married during college, and had four children, Kristin Jones Heninger, Brian Todd Jones, Daniel Wade Jones, and Emily Ann Jones. In 1996, he married his bride of 26 years, Judi Short, and at that point gained a stepson, Leonard John Short. Wade and Judi also had Daisy, and then Rosie, two wonderful beagles that he walked all over the 9^th and 9^th and Sugar House neighborhoods.

He received his first Ham Radio license in June of 1990 as Novice with a Call Sign of KB7LBC. In July of 1990 he became a Technician with a Call Sign of N7PGX, and kept N7PGX when he passed his General Class in March of 1993. In September 1993 he received his Advanced License and received the Call Sign of KI7RR, and became an Extra Class in November 2003. Because of his love for the University of Utah, he applied for a Vanity Call Sign in March 2006 and became W7UTE. If he wasn’t on the Ham Radios, he could be found walking Miss Rosie in Sugar House or attending a University of Utah football or basketball game! The Lady Utes basketball team held a special place in his heart and he was a devout fan. Wade knew many people in the neighborhood and became good friends with everyone that he met while walking Rosie.

He loved to “rag chew” and handle traffic on The Utah Beehive Net. He checked into the High Noon Net and Farm Net regularly. We used to always hear him say W7UTE, no traffic. Now he is a Silent Key.

His children have wonderful memories of his love for reading, even though he missed phonics when he moved from Park City to Salt Lake City schools, which made reading hard. His favorite book was Catcher in the Rye. He made hockey puck hamburgers, pancakes on Sunday mornings, he drove the kids and their friends to school, teasing them all the way. He regularly stopped at 7-11 for a Diet Coke and donuts, and was known for warming a burrito on the hood of his work van in the summer. He was always around when his kids needed him, making sure they had what they needed before he did anything for himself. He loved burnt almond fudge ice cream, pecan sandies, strawberry twizzlers, peanut M&Ms. He often made the kids PB&Js with grape jelly. Dan remembers his dad taking him to soccer five days a week, always on time, and often driving him to a skate jam between games. He would pick up all the kids from the skate park and hang his head out of the window telling them how bad they stunk. Emily says he would take her to Hardee’s for breakfast before dropping her off at school, taught her how to drive in his Xerox work van, and took her to the Downtown City library and the Museum of Natural History on their weekends. They would look at the moon together since she was a baby and still called each other or sent messages about it throughout the years. Granddaughter Maysen had the privilege of baking cookies with him, and he taught her how to bake pumpkin pies. They are the very best! He was also the best handyman, he could fix almost everything, and knew where to get just the right parts, and then he would install them.  We will really miss that.

He is survived by his bride Judi Short, children Kristin, Brian, Dan (Tana), and Emily, his stepson Leonard (Starin) and step grandson Ben. He also has seven grandchildren Brady Heninger (Carli), Kaylie Heninger, Morgan Heninger, Drew Bradley, Maysen Jones, Josie Allem, and Ben Short. He also is survived by two great grandchildren, Eden and Elenor Heninger. He is also survived by his sister, Kathy Jones Price (Harry) and nephew Xavier Ray Price, along with Janet’s children Cheri Webster (Greg) and Mike Greensides. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Janet Jones.

A Celebration of Wade’s Life will be on Monday, April 3, 2023 from 6-8 PM at Stark’s Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East. We hope you will come, and wear Utah Red to celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers, you may send a donation to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. We owe them a debt of gratitude for giving us an additional four years with Wade.