John H.F. Jones

John Howard Florance Jones

John Howard Florance Jones, 91, Topeka, died Saturday, July 30, 2016, at his home. He was born January 16, 1925, in Oklahoma City, OK, son of Charles Sibley and Vera Ann (Florance) Jones.

John attended school in Oklahoma City, OK, Big Spring and Seminole TX, Lawrence and Baldwin City, KS. John's dad, Charles, died in 1939, of a stroke in Seminole. He owned a lumber yard and a grocery store in Seminole. John and his mother, Vera, moved to Lawrence, KS to be with her mother, Aria; father, Fred; brothers: George, Charles, and Paul; and sister, Hazell.

After high school graduation in Baldwin City, KS, John worked at building the Sunflower Ordinance Works and then at the Lawrence Municipal Airport training University of Kansas R.O.T.C. Navy students their basic flight training in Piper Cubs. John then entered the Army Air Force and was stationed in Sioux Falls, SD, for radio training and then to Denver, CO, for central fire control training on the new B-29 bomber. He was shipped to Saipan in the South Pacific to bomb Japan in World War II. After the B-29 dropped the atomic bomb to end the war, he was discharged from the Army Air Force in 1946, and returned to Kansas. He moved to Topeka, KS, and worked at Auto Parts Company for 12 years, learning the auto parts business. He then resigned his position at NAPA and opened City Auto Supply and Central Automotive Warehouse, a wholesale automotive and auto racing parts business for 10 years. He then sold this business and with his son, Charles Jones, opened Jones Automotive, Inc., a wholesale automotive and race car parts company and a complete racing machine shop with dynos and balancing equipment, located at 133 East 29th Street. After 5 years, they then built a new building at 121 SE 29th with 12 bay service area complete shop and complete automotive and auto racing parts department.
He promoted auto racing at the old Topeka Fairgrounds, ½ mile track which started in the old days as a horse race track. He then promoted auto racing at the Topeka Raceway Park, The Lakeside Dirt Track (Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, KS), and the I-70 Speedway (Odessa, MO). He became a stockholder for a new Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS), and retired from promoting auto racing.
John was a life-member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a member of the American Legion, Kansas State Rifle Association, Inc., NRA, Gun Owners of American, 20th Air Force Association, GARAND Collectors Association, Moose, and Moose Legion, and Kansas Aviation Museum.

In his retirement he managed rental property and enjoyed life with his constant companion, Beverly Jean Parnell, the love of his life, and his kids and grandkids.

Survivors include: his constant companion, Beverly Jean Parnell; a son, Charles H. Jones (Stacy) of Topeka; a daughter, Helen Ann Clark (Scott) of Longmont, CO; a grandson, John C. Jones (Kim) of Topeka; great-grandsons, Aiden John Jones and Evan James Jones; step-daughters, Connie Cahoone (Steve) of Emporia, KS and Colleen Weilert (Mike) of Wamego, KS; and step-grandchildren: Cole Sly (Jami) of Wamego, KS, Justin Sly (Stephanie) of Topeka, Dani Criqui (Wade) of Lyndon, Andrea Landgren of Emporia , and Brandon Cahoone (Natalie) of Wichita; and step-greatgrandchildren: Kennedy, Abigail and Zachariah Criqui, Ridge and Ryah Cahoone, Oakley, Trig, and Kalon Sly. He was preceded in death by a great-granddaughter, Kinzie Lea Jones.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 AM, Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at Mount Hope Cemetery and Funeral Chapel, 4700 SW Seventh Street, Topeka, followed by military honors conducted by a Fort Riley US Army Honors Detail. The family will receive friends one hour prior to service time. John will lie in state from 3:00 to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, at Penwell-Gabel Parker-Price Chapel, 245 NW Independence Avenue.

Memorial contributions may be made to Midland Hospice, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka, KS 66606-2800 or KSU Veterinary Health Center c/o Kristin Loving, 1800 Dennison Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66506

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