Derek Jones Passes

Published: July 23, 2015 03:15 pm EDT

Longtime horse owner (John) Derek Jones Sr. of Thorsby, Alta. passed away peacefully at Grey Nuns hospital surrounded by family on July 18, 2015 at the age of 82.

Both Derek and his wife Dorothy came from Shropshire, England. Derek was in the Welsh Guards, and was a boxer in the Welsh Guards. For a time, Jones was the light heavyweight boxing champ of the British Isles.

While serving for the Welsh Guards, Jones' group were the Queen's guards during her inauguration and he was stationed in Buckingham Palace for a time. In England he met future wife Dorothy, who was a jockey, starting their tie into the horse racing industry. The pair came to Canada, settled in Manitoba and became involved with Standardbreds in the early 1970s. They then moved to Alberta in the Camrose area, obtained some broodmares and began a breeding operation with a mare by the name of Cactus Rose.

Jones owned many racehorses over the years with notable and favourites being Nik A Tik, Tonka Tik, Freesia Lobell, and current racehorse Freesia.

Derek will always be remembered by his wife Dorothy and son John (Shirley), grandchildren Rod (Jodie) and Diana (Emil), great granddaughter Anneliese, his brothers in England, Robert (Rhiannon), Richard (Bernadette), and William (Patricia), their son Richard (Helen) and family along with numerous nieces, nephews, relatives, friends, horse Freesia, dog KC and cat Tiddlepoo.

Derek was predeceased by his father John Llewellyn, his mother Mabel Ellen, and brother Reginald Durham (Barbara).

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, July 24, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 5115 48th Ave., Thorsby, Alta.

Donations will be divided between Alberta Diabetes Foundation 1-020 Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1 and Alberta Standardbred Horse Association 261185 Wagon Wheel Way Rocky View, AB, T4A 0E2.

The family wishes to thank the town of Thorsby, friends and family for its friendship and condolence.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Derek Jones.

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