Kenneth Ray “Pinky” Jones, 68, of Walnut Hill, Illinois, passed away at his home on Friday, October 16, 2026.
Ken was born on July 4th, 1958, in Centralia, Illinois, the son of Kenneth and Shirley Jones of Junction City, IL. He grew up in Junction City, where he attended grade/high school in Sandoval, IL.
Ken married the love of his life, Lisa, on March 2nd, 2002, and they built a life centered around each other, their family, racing, and God.
Ken’s heart and soul were his children and grandchildren:
Ken was a proud father of: Tasha Meyer and husband Jason of Centralia, Adam Hughes of Mt. Vernon, Kelsey Jones of Centralia, Meagan Jones of Centralia, Zach Jones and wife Lindsey of Carlyle, Bryson Jones still living at home in Walnut Hill, and Jenny Voss of St.Louis.
Grandchildren: Jace Michael Hughes, Drake Farringer, Cash Meyer, Jacob Ben Avi, Hanleigh Schmidt, Paisley Meyer, Madden Jones, Quinn Jones, Ryan Jones, and Spencer Voss.
Siblings: Kim Cruzen of Walnut Hill, and John Jones and Kay of Junction City.
Proceeded in death: Parents: Kenneth Jones and Shirley (Bone) Jones.
Ken’s love of cars came at an early age. He started working on cars back in his teens, when if you wanted something done you had to figure it out yourself. Come to find out, he was good at it and has been doing it ever since. His first garage was at his aunt’s house in her garage. He later worked as a mechanic at Seeburger Chevrolet, then later opened his own business, Ken Jones Performance, which was one of the best decisions he ever made. Ken has customers all over the United States as well as internationally. His high-performance carburetors, transmissions, and fuel systems have led the way to his business being so successful. His love and passion for drag racing and the need for speed helped make him the man he is today.
Ken not only just had his family’s love, but everyone that knew Ken came to love him. You have family you were born into, then you have the racers and people you meet along the way that become your family. He was there to help and to serve others and that’s exactly what he did. Ken was not just a nine to five business owner that is shut off after hours, he was a 24/7 service person to every one of his customers and friends. Always on over time and loved every bit of it. God gave Ken a precious gift of knowledge that was never ending.
Ken was a devoted Christian man. Ken’s true character, values, and commitments are proven through his actions rather than just words. Every Tuesday morning was a men’s devoted breakfast he started many years ago to bring Christian men together for bonding and building each other up. He wasn’t afraid to let everyone know his faith and stood by it in his everyday life.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held Friday, October 23, 2026, at 6:00 pm at The Rock Church, located at 515 Airport Road in Centralia, IL 62801, with Pastor Steve Upchurch and Pastor Seth Baltzell officiating. A Visitation for family and friends will be held Friday, October 23, 2026, at The Rock Church from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. In memory of Ken, memorial donations may be made to Lisa Jones and will be accepted by the Sutherland-Garnier Funeral Home at 235 North Sycamore Street in Centralia, IL 62801 (618) 532-3523, which is honored to be of service to the Jones family. Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.sutherlandfuneralhome.com or the Funeral Home’s Facebook page. To send flowers, please visit the sympathy store on Ken’s obituary page.
