Roger A. Jones of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, died August 15, 2024, at the Community at Rockhill, Sellersville. He was 69. He was the loving husband of Patti A. (Renner) Jones. The couple celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary on March 8, 2024.
Born in Abington, Pennsylvania, he was the son of William R. and Myrtle E. (Jacobs) Jones, of Telford, Pennsylvania. He was a 1974 graduate of Phil-Mont Christian Academy in Dresher. He then attended Hocking Technical College, Nelsonville, Ohio.
Jones began his career in the heat-treating division of ABAR Corporation in 1975. In 1978, he joined the newly formed Vacuum Furnace Systems Corp., known as VFS, and began working with his father, the founder of VFS. In 1983, Jones assisted in the founding of Solar Atmospheres, Inc., serving as vice president until 1993 when he was promoted to president. As the company grew, he was promoted to corporate president in 2001 and eventually chief executive officer in 2017. After 45 years of service, Jones retired in 2019 with the title of CEO emeritus. During Jones’ time as CEO of Solar Atmospheres, the company became an award-winning company.
He was a member of the American Society for Materials International (ASM) and, locally, the Philadelphia Liberty Bell Chapter, where he chaired nine committees and served as chapter chairman. He was an instructor for the chapter’s MEI courses. ASM has awarded Jones with the William Hunt Eisenman Award, the President’s Award, the Meritorious Service Award, and the Adolph Schaefer Special Achievement Award. Jones was also a member of the Metal Treating Institute, where he was a member of the Board of Trustees, president of the institution, and served on various committees. He was awarded the Heritage Award in 2018, MTI’s most prestigious award.
He was a member of Immanuel Leidy’s Church in Souderton, where he served on the finance, lay visitors and hospitality committees as well as an usher coordinator. He has also served on the Board of Trustees for the Grand View Health Foundation in Sellersville. Jones was a dedicated life member of the Perkasie Fire Company where he served as president, vice president, trustee and engineer, a position that he held for more than 30 years. He was awarded the Burpee Emergency Services Award in 2006 and the William E. Baringer Distinguished Service award in 2017. He was also a life member of the Bucks County Fire Chiefs and Firefighters Association.
In addition to his wife and parents, he is survived by his children, Jamie A. Jones and his wife, Lindsay; Jennifer A. Jones and her companion, Raheem Johnson; and Trevor M. Jones and his wife, Brittney; six grandchildren — Mikayla Jones, Saonna Johnson, Tyshine Johnson, Raheem Johnson, Cole Jones, and Presley Jones; a sister, Holly Craven and her husband, Bruce, of Carlisle; and his two dogs, Teddy and Cooper.
