We Remember
JONES, Robert William “Bob”
November 22, 1943 — January 7, 2026
Robert (“Bob”) William Jones was born on November 22, 1943, in St. Catharines, Ontario, and he passed away peacefully on January 7, 2026. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 60 years, Janice; daughter, Catherine Hardy, son-in-law Graham Hardy, and their children Cameron, Rachel, and Emma; and his son, David Jones, and his children Natasha, Marko, and Aleksandar. Bob is also survived by Biljana Zecevic, the mother of Natasha, Marko, and Aleksandar. He was predeceased by his parents, William and Catherine Jones; his sister, Elizabeth Jones; and his granddaughter, Angeline Hardy. Bob was a man of steady faith, was deeply devoted to his family, and contributed a lifetime of meaningful work and service to others.
As a young teenager, Bob developed a fascination with amateur radio, a passion that sparked a lifelong career in engineering and telecommunications. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Electrical Engineering and later earned both a Master of Applied Science and an MBA. Over the course of his distinguished career, Bob worked with Andrew Antenna, the Federal Department of Communications in Ottawa, and later served as Director of the Radiocommunications Bureau at the International Telecommunications Union (a UN agency) in Geneva, Switzerland where he was involved in the negotiation of international telecommunication treaties.
While Bob’s professional achievements were significant, those who knew him best will remember him for the kind of person that he was: a man of integrity and humility, friendly and good-natured with a sense of humour, and someone who displayed quiet strength. He was humble, a hard worker, and he consistently led by example. Bob was generous with his time and support, and he took genuine pleasure in serving through his churches, wherever life took him.
Having been raised by parents who had immigrated to Canada from Wales, Bob carried his Welsh heritage with deep pride throughout his life and felt a strong connection to his roots. He made many trips to Wales, maintained regular contact with relatives there, and especially loved listening to Welsh male voice choirs. Bob loved to travel and had a lifelong interest in photography, often capturing meaningful moments and places. While living in Switzerland, he especially enjoyed skiing with his family, and these types of memories will be cherished for years to come.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Freedom’s Door Kelowna, an addiction recovery organization.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 1:00 pm (PST), at Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church [3714 Gordon Drive, Kelowna], with refreshments to follow. A livestream of the service will be available.
If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area call “Condolences”.
LIVESTREAM provided by Springfield Funeral Home:
Service
Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 1:00 pm (PST)
Location
Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church
Share with Others:
Freedom's Door Kelowna Link: www.freedomsdoorkelowna.com/donate/
Service Information
Service Details
The service for JONES, Robert William “Bob” is scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 1:00 pm (PST). Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.
Address & Contact for Service Location:
Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church
3714 Gordon Drive, Kelowna, BC
Phone:
Special Requests:
None.
Funeral Pointers:
Condolences
Our deepest sympathies to Jan and family. Bob was that guy that everyone admired with a smile that spoke acceptance. Praying for your spirits to relax into the knowledge that ” we do not grieve as others” because our faith lifts us from earth to realms of His closest presence.
I am so sorry to hear of Bob’s passing. He was a wonderful gentleman who lived his faith, kind hearted and was a listener to others. He also had a quiet compassionate heart with a sense of humour that was felt by many people. He is now with Jesus in his loving arms and is at peace. Bob believed he was to be with Jesus and he would want all to believe that is where he is now.
Janice and family, my prayers and condolences on the loss of Bob. Truly a one in a million individual where he knew you by name and always in your corner to provide his support and gratitude for your work accomplishments under his watch. True leadership in everything he did or stood for! Will miss our e-mails. Rest in Peace Bob and say hello to Joe!
The passing of Bob Jones leaves a big hole in many lives. Bob was the light that shone upon a dark and uncertain path for some of us. His beliefs and his behaviours were in perfect harmony. Now he rests in peace now, surrounded by light. perpetual.
We both remember Bob’s quiet and caring way. Whenever we met, he always showed a genuine interest in us and how “life was treating us”. He was very much “up to date” on the many things that are changing the world we live in.
For Bob, “communications” was more than his life employment but a way of showing how much he cared.
We look forward to seeing him “once again” with all those who also loved his Saviour, and ours, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sandy and i are saddened by the lost of our very dear friend Bob. we spent many of good times either at lunches or together at the Vernon Welsh Society gathering. We will miss him very much and offer our condolences and sympathy to Jan…
I was a childhood friend of Bob’s when he lived on Carlton St in St Catharines. He was building Heathkit ham radios when the rest of us were still playing with blocks. A great guy and I’m so glad he was part of my life.
Dear Janice and family. Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the passing of your beloved Bob. My Mother, Simone Pipe, worked with him at DOC for years and she adored him. He was always very kind and respectful toward her, with a great sense if humor. I remember arriving in Geneva in the Fall of 1982, with my dear Mother (now deceased), and Bob was working at ITU. His dear wife, barely knowing us, invited the 2 of us for lunch one day at their apartment at COOP 2000, which was really kind and considerate, especially knowing we felt like 2 fish out of water having just arrived in Geneva to join my Father, Art Pope, also working at ITU. My Mother had worked with Bob in Ottawa years before and always had a nice word to say about him. She admired him greatly for his class, intelligence, and kindness toward others.
May dear Bob rest in eternal peace.
So sorry to hear of Bob’s passing. I worked with Bob in the mid 80’s while on assignment in Ottawa. Quiet strength, leadership, compassion, humble are how I remember him. He was good person with admirable values.
My sympathies to all of his loved ones.
Roland Richard
Dear Family Jones, Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. Wishing you peace and comfort.
I worked for Bob for a number of years. He was a mentor to me. When he first moved to Geneva, he counselled me successfully on winning the job he left in Communications. He was always a warm & caring individual. My deepest condolences. Parke Davis
One of the best to know and to work with over the years. Regret was not able to send a picture off our my final meeting in Vancouver 1994
We were very sad to hear of Bob”s passing. I always enjoyed working with Bob over a long time span, At times one of us in Geneva and the other in Ottawa, or the reverse Our most memorable time is the Alaskan Cruise in 2007 and I have attached a photo of. that trip
Dear Jan and family,
It is so sad to hear that dear Bob passed away. We send you our deepest sympathy. It will be a little comfort to you that you were able to celebrate your 60th Anniversary, Bobs Birthday and the early Christmas in Calgary. We know how much you must miss him now and in the future. Be assured that our thoughts will be always with you. We loved Bob very much. We will always remember him as a modest and kind man and good friend. Our thoughts will be with you when we join Bobs celebration of life.
Fred and Helgard
Dear Jan,
So sorry to hear the sad news about Bob, we will look back, with great fondness of the happy times we met over here in Wales and how proud he was of his Welsh heritage, and especially this part of Anglesey. We always looked forwards to seeing you and have a good discussion of Family matters. I have tried to include a photograph of the last time we met in 2019. I have informed the rest of the family and they were all very sorry to heat the sad news. Please pass on our sympathy to all your family. We will thinking of you all during this sad time and keep you in our prayers.
With deepest Love and affection.
Susan and Michael.
Dear Janice. I was saddened to hear about Bob’s passing. I first got to know Bob in 1980. We have been friends ever since. I have thoroughly enjoyed knowing and working with him over all these years both in Canada and at the ITU. He was a good friend as well as a quiet and compassionate man who always put others first. He will be sorely missed. I would like to convey my sincerest condolences to you and your entire family.
Anne and Serge Bertuzzo
Our deepest sympathy to you and yours Jan. It was a great pleasure to meet you and Bob through my Mother at KGH and share stimulating conversation over many after Church coffees and cake. Cherished memories of Bob and his quiet intelligent look and smile. The type of person I admire and will never forget. You were lucky to have him for 60 years and he will always be by your side to guide you through a crossroad of life. Love you Jan.
Our sincere condolences to Janice and family on the sad passing of a true friend and colleague during his time at the ITU. Bob is remembered as a leading expert in his field, always willing to give his time to help members with the complexities of the Radio Regulations.
My wife Rhonda and I would like to extend our sincere condolences to Janice and family on Bob’s passing. He had a profound and positive impact on everyone he was associated with during his career including his friends and colleagues at the ITU where he served as Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau for 8 successful years. Bob was always considered to be a professional, compassionate and honoured member of the ITU family as well as a highly respected senior representative of the Department of Communications in Canada. May he rest in peace..
Bruce Gracie
Janice, You are in my prayers. I will watch the service tomorrow on line. Thanks for that possibility
Suzanne and I wish to extend to Jan and her family our most heartfelt condolences on Bob’s passing a few days ago. I consider it a privilege to have known, worked with and befriended Bob here in Ottawa as well as when we both worked at the ITU in Geneva. He was a man of faith, totally committed to his family, and an outstanding public servant both nationally and internationally. Jan and her family will be in our thoughts and prayers, particularly during the Celebration of life. May Bob rest in peace.
Pierre Gagné
“Don’t cry to have lost him, but rejoice to have known him.” (Jean-Louis Trintignant)
Il a été un Directeur Général hors pair! Mes plus sincères sympathies!
Janice, Chris and I wish to express our sincerest condolences to you and your family on Bob’s passing. We’ll always remember him as being a kind, compassionate and respectful person. We’ll also appreciate and be grateful to have had the occasion to see you both not so long ago and reminisce over fond memories having worked with Bob. As our Director General at the then Department of Communications, we appreciated and admired his leadership. He then made us very proud when he was elected to be the first ITU BR Director and led the Bureau for 8 years. During this time, he never missed a chance to stop by the Canadian bench to say hello and catch up with us.
I will always be thankful and touched by his support when he found out I was running to be elected as a member of the RRB in 2017. He was fully retired by then but he quickly reached out, offered help and advice, showed real interest in my campaign and of course was one of the first to congratulate me. Just another example of the great man that he was. May he rest in peace.
Dear “Auntie” Jan, Catherine & family, David & family:
I was so sad to hear of “Uncle” Bob’s recent passing. I know he will be dearly missed. I was able to attend the livestream service for Bob this afternoon, and felt privileged to do so. What a beautiful service; Catherine and David–you did a fine job eulogizing your Dad–he would be very proud of you. I learned some things about him that I didn’t know. (And I was glad to hear one Welsh hymn.) It was nice to see one slide with my parents (Dave & Betty Watson) alongside Bob & Jan. I have many happy memories of your family visiting ours, of us visiting you, and of hearing Bob & Dave chatting on their regular ham radio calls. Ron tells me that Betty asked him several times yesterday to “let Dave know about Bob”–in her state of dementia, she doesn’t realize that we lost Dad/Dave over nine years ago. I’ve recently been reading the tribute that Bob wrote about Dave just after Dad passed away (Nov 2016), and it is so touching. They were indeed more like brothers than cousins. My heart is with you as you grieve Bob’s passing, and as you celebrate the many happy moments and memories you share as a family.
Much love from Cindy (Watson) & Marcos (Parrado), Eliana, and Tupaj (Cochrane, AB)
We are not alone. God is with us. Thanks be to God!
Thank you for sharing Bob Jones with the rest of us. I have fond memories growing up in Ottawa playing in your pool, New Year’s parties, and eating raclette. Mr Jones always seemed to me so smart and caring. He had a quiet strength that I appreciated.
My thoughts are with all of you after the loss of my Uncle Bob; the brother my dad never had. I’m not sure if I ever told Bob that his dad, my Great Uncle Bill from St Catherines , was one of my favorite people of all time and I rarely go fishing with out thinking about him. My condolences.
So sorry about Bob. Our prayers are with you at this tough time. You only have one dad and it is always hard when they are no longer around to talk to and share things with.
On behalf of the International Amateur Radio Club (IARC) of the ITU, we would like to extend our sincere condolences to Jones family on Bob’s passing. Bob was not only the first elected Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, but also a great patron of the ITU radioclub 4U1ITU. Bob as active radioamateur VE3CTM and later VE7RWJ was very interested in the HF communication. The IARC will always remember Bob as a radio professional and in the same time a very human and passionate radioamateur. May he rest in peace, VE7RWJ – SK (Silent Key)
The IARC Bureau