Brigadier General Roger Allan Jones, USAF (Ret), 87, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away on August 10, 2026, in St. George, Utah. He was a devoted husband, father, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather, as well as a decorated Air Force general, a respected judge advocate (JAG), and a dedicated volunteer. He maintained a lifelong interest in travel, reading, and learning, and was known for his genuine curiosity about the perspectives and experiences of others.
Roger was born on September 12, 1938, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Charles and Evelyn Jones. The family moved to Salem, Illinois, in 1939, where Roger graduated from Salem Community High School in 1956. He went on to the University of Illinois, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and political science in 1960 and a juris doctor degree in 1962. In 1973, he earned a master of laws degree in environmental law, with highest honors, from George Washington University.
Commissioned in 1960 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, General Jones entered active duty as a second lieutenant in March 1963 and began a distinguished 29-year career as an Air Force judge advocate. His assignments carried him and his family around the world, including Alaska, Vietnam, Colorado. Washington, DC., England; Florida, Nevada, Virginia, Louisiana, Texas and Nebraska. He was promoted to brigadier general on July 1, 1988 and retired from active duty on July 1, 1992. General Jones’ decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
In retirement, Roger remained deeply committed to community service. He was a longtime member and usher of the Desert Spring United Methodist Church, a multi-term president of the board of trustees of the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School Foundation, and an active supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada, where he served for decades as a wish granter, board member, vice president, and president. Throughout his career and retirement, Roger was widely regarded as a mentor, and his guidance and generosity were felt across many lives.
Colleagues, friends, and family alike knew Roger as a man of integrity, discipline, and good humor, who approached both his professional and personal responsibilities with equal commitment.
Despite his many professional accomplishments, Roger considered his family to be his greatest source of pride. Known to them as “Grandpops,” he took particular interest in the lives and achievements of his children and grandchildren and made a point of expressing that pride to each of them. To all his family and close personal friends, Roger was a source of influence and admiration — a man they held in profound admiration, whose character set the benchmark for the lives they strive to live.
In his personal time, Roger ran three marathons, the first at age 51, and enjoyed snow skiing, scuba diving, extensive travel, and reading.
Roger is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Linda L. Jones (née Barlow); his daughter, Sharon (Thomas) Farmer; his son, Rodney (Odgerel) Jones; his grandchildren, Ashley (Andrew) Wagner, Thomas “TA” (Elizabeth) Farmer, R. Andrew (Alexandra) Farmer, Kelsey (Sean) Miller, Meghan Jones, Hunter Jones, Ethan Jones, Emerson Jones, and Alistair Jones together with his ten great-grandchildren
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Mead Jones (d. 1971) and Martha Evelyn Jones (d. 1984); his infant sister, Gwendolyn Jones (d. 1930); and his dearly loved brother, Donald C. (Carletta) Jones (d. 1990).
A private family viewing was held in St George, Utah, at the Hughes Mortuary, and a service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery where he will be buried with full military honors.
He will be remembered for his decades of service, his leadership, and his enduring devotion to his family.
