Donald K. Jones ’38
DON JONES DIED after a short illness on Aug. 1, 1994, the 51st anniversary of a daring daylight air raid on the Ploesti, Romania, oil refineries, in which he was copilot of a B-24 bomber.
Born in Brooklyn, he prepared at Princeton Prep. He attended Princeton for two years, where he was a popular member of Cottage Club. He served in the Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force from 1941-45. He attained the rank of captain and was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses.
In 1949, he went to Savannah, Ga., as commercial manager of the radio station WSAV. He founded station WSGA in 1956 and was its president until 1974, and later of WSGF. An ardent and expert golfer, he was a member of Savannah Golf Club, belonged to Oglethorpe Club and Christ Episcopal Church.
Surviving are his widow, Alice; a son by a previous marriage, Jay S.; and daughters Katherine Ratterree, Lisa White, Marion Chamali, and Edith Page Jones. Always a true son of Princeton, he served on the University Fund and as a regional Annual Giving chairman. He will be missed.
Paw in print
January 2026
Giving big with Kwanza Jones ’93 and José E. Feliciano ’94; Elizabeth Tsurkov freed; small town wonderers.
2 Responses
Comments
Lisa White
1 Month AgoA Hero and a Wonderful Father
Don or “Deacon Jones” was my father. I have the Ploesti book and remember him talking about Russell Longnecker. He didn’t talk much at all about his war experiences. But I can tell you he was a hero to the end as a wonderful father to his five daughters in Savannah. Did Russell tell you much?
Steven Smith
3 Months AgoOn His World War II Service
Interesting. I was doing research on Donald. He flew the Ploesti raid as co-pilot with my cousin Russell Longnecker, who was in the first pilot’s seat. What an awful day it was, but the whole crew made it back to Libya. He was called Deacon Jones by his fellow airmen.