May 17, 1922 – October 14, 2025
James Everett Jones—a veteran of World War II, mountain rescue climber, ski patroller, firefighter, river runner, musician, and all-around great guy—passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family in the Canyonlands Care Center in Moab at the age of 103.
Jim was born on May 17, 1922, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Everett Arthur Jones and Catherine Thomas Jones. He was raised by his mother’s sister, Anna Elizabeth Thomas (Aunt Did), and her husband, George Rambeau—a relationship for which Jim was always grateful. Raised during the Great Depression in industrial Pittsburgh, Jim was tough when necessary but was equally empathetic and kind, traits he carried throughout his life.
At age 19, Jim suffered a severe head injury during a baseball game that nearly claimed his life. Thanks to a skilled surgeon and several near-miraculous events, he recovered fully. Despite the opportunity to avoid military service, Jim enlisted in the Army less than a year later. When the consulting surgeon asked about lingering effects from the injury and Jim responded that he had none, the doctor assured him that he never would—and he never did.
Jim trained at various Army bases, including Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, where he learned and loved the song “Columbus Stockade Blues,” which he passed on to his sons. In training, he met his lifelong best friend, August (Gus) Rosenberg. Together, they served in Iceland and England, landed on Utah Beach at Normandy, and fought across France and Germany, including in the Battle of the Bulge. Post-war, Jim and Gus lived together while attending college through the GI Bill.
Though Jim seldom spoke of wartime horrors, he cherished the friendships and positive moments, especially an encounter with a French schoolgirl near Rebais who gifted him a small hand-sewn French flag, Suzanne Bonneau. Jim carried the flag throughout the war and returned to Rebais with his family more than seventy years later, where residents celebrated the town’s liberation.
Jim earned a biology degree from the University of Pittsburgh, where he met Evelyn Theresa Cain, a fellow Pittsburgh native. They married in 1950 and Jim began a career with the National Park Service at Sequoia National Park. The couple, humorously nicknamed “Nature Boy and his bride”, adapted to remote park life and began their family. They raised four children—Kevin, Jeannine, Jamie, and Eric—as they moved through different national parks across the country.
Jim retired in the early 1980s and made Moab his permanent home, where he and Evelyn lived a full life surrounded by friends, church, community theatre, and travel. Inspired by his stepfather George, Jim was deeply musical—singing with Evelyn and playing mandolin, a tradition carried on by sons Kevin, Eric, and grandson Nick in their group, the “Jones Mandolin Orchestra.”
Jim was a devoted caregiver to Evelyn during her illness and was heartbroken by her death in 2007. He remained active throughout his life, performing nightly pushups and sit-ups, climbing the Moab Rim regularly into his eighties, and riding a bike until age 99. He credited his longevity to Evelyn’s nutritious meals and his active lifestyle.
Jim is survived by his children, Kevin (wife Barbara Evert), Jeannine (Rick Willett, deceased), Jamie (wife Lynn), and Eric (wife Karen Downey); his grandchildren Wesley (wife Lora), Kyler (wife Shannon), and Nick; and his great-grandchildren Rhys, Zephyr, Liliana, and Skye. Jim expressed countless times how grateful he was for his life, believing it couldn’t have been better.
He was a loving father and kind neighbor, guided always by two simple principles: be honest and be kind. His family invites all to honor Jim by living by these principles.
Services are pending.
Family and friends are invited to share tributes online at www.SpanishValleyMortuary.com.
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