William Edward Jones

William E. Jones, 79, of Columbus, Ohio, passed away peacefully in his home at Dublin Retirement Village on March 25, 2022, with family at his bedside.

Mr. Jones was born in Columbus on March 30, 1942, to Raymond and Bernadine (Otten) Jones. A graduate of the Michael E. Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University, he was a career-long attorney with Battelle Memorial Institute. Although well-read and very bright, his personal interests defied the common image of a humorless jurist who spends his days, nights and weekends pouring over contracts and legalese. As a passionate fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, for example, he looked forward to cheering on his favorite gridiron squad each new season.

Mr. Jones also held a keen interest in the phenomenon of UFOs. This led to his involvement with the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), for which he served many years as Ohio state director. Over his lifetime, he amassed a sizable collection of UFO literature that is preserved in the William E. Jones Collection on Unidentified Flying Objects at the Ohio State University Library.

Mr. Jones' sense of humor was perhaps his most defining characteristic. This was best seen in the pranks he would pull on unwitting family, friends and coworkers. While his bag of tricks was deep, he especially enjoyed leaving odd knickknacks where the object of his antic would eventually discover them and ponder how they came to possess them.

Although Mr. Jones lived in one city his entire life, he was well-traveled. From his year-long sojourn to Thailand as a young man to several visits to Australia and New Zealand in his latter years, he loved exploring places that were new to him and experiencing the people and cultures of faraway lands.

Mr. Jones also devoted countless hours to serving his community, primarily as a proud volunteer with the Columbus Police Reserve. For more than 30 years, it was his pleasure and privilege to wear the uniform, whether he was directing traffic for a public event or responding to an emergency call that placed him in physical peril.

Missing Mr. Jones is his son, David Laprad of Tennessee; his stepdaughter, Leah Potts of Ohio; and his four grandchildren – Abigail Laprad of Tennessee, Lucas Laprad of Texas and Moira Ginger and Ash Potts, both of Ohio. Mr. Jones cherished his family.

Mr. Jones' first wife, Fay Ola Jones, and second wife, Sandy (Atherton) Jones, preceded him in death.

The family has chosen direct cremation. Burial will take place at a date to be determined at Newark Memorial Gardens, where an informal service will be held in memory of Mr. Jones.