The Unforgettable Charles E. Jones

Posted in Central Oklahoma Mensa on August 22, 2005

An active member of COM and frequent contributor to the Mensokie, Charles Jones passed away on Friday. His funeral is today (August 22) at 1:00 pm at Wesley United Methodist Church. Memorials are suggested to Wesley UMC or Wesley’s Mobile Meals program. See his full obituary in the Oklahoman while it is available [Update 10/16/05: Broken link removed]. Continue reading for some memories of Charles from Nancy Park.

Central Oklahoma Mensa member Charles Jones, 76, died August 19th. After knee surgery last winter, he couldn’t quite manage to recover, and he developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Battling for his life, he was unable to re-new his Mensa membership in March, but he definitely would have had he been able, because where else could he get such good contention in an argument?

Charlie was a prolific writer and often graced the Mensokie with memories of occupied Germany, where he was a reporter for Stars and Stripes, of San Francisco, which may have been the city he enjoyed the most, and of growing up in Oklahoma City in the ‘40s. These were only places, however. Charlie’s real love was in writing stories about people; bad, good or just juicy scandalous — and he was not averse to tarring himself, and laughing, with the same brush he used on others.

In addition to writing for Mensokie, he entertained this editor by phone with many more stories than could possibly be printed here. He was a Mensa friend, the kind you don’t see for ages, but pick up with right where you left off. As an active member of the Kiwanis Club and the Toastmasters Club, he helped me overcome a fear of public speaking with engagements at two Kiwanis meetings, and as someone to talk with about almost any subject in the world, he was a raconteur par excellence. I’ll miss our chats and shared laughter, and I’ll miss the quality of writing he brought to the newsletter.

Goodbye, Charlie. I hope they give you a job on Stars and Harps.

— Nancy Park