Garth Jones (1932 - 2019)

It is with great sadness that we announce that Garth Jones, UBC Professor Emeritus and one of TRIUMF’s founding scientists, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 31, 2019. He was 87. 

Garth was Born in Victoria, BC to Stanley Jones and Jessie Needham. He was an older brother to Glyn Jones whom he cherished. 

Garth received his Bachelor's Degree in 1953 and Masters degree in 1955 from UBC with Honours in Mathematics and Physics, followed by his Doctoral degree in Nuclear Physics in 1959. After receiving his PhD, Garth worked as a Research Fellow at Oxford University before returning to Vancouver in 1961, when he became a Professor of Physics at UBC and later at the TRIUMF laboratory. 

It was at UBC, that Garth met his future wife Irene Juszczak. They were married in 1965 and spent 50 years as husband and wife until Irene's passing in 2015. 

Throughout his life, Garth was known as a kind and logical man, who impacted so many. His insight and experience at work was highly valued. To his kids, he was a joyful, loving and caring "Mr. Spock", a dad who was extremely steadfast in the way he lived and approached life, with positivity, a smile on his face, much laughter, and a wee jig. Ask Garth the secret for his healthy long life...'I'm just happy and keep things simple'. 

Garth is survived by his children Arwenna and Neil Jones; grandson Brenden and step granddaughter Kyra Galli; nephew and nieces Trevor Jones, Wendy Clark, and Heather Serafin; Great grand nephews/nieces Tessa, Justyn and Maya Saxby-Jones; Taylor and Tudor Clark, Kaitlin, Zachary and Danika Serafin. 

A Celebration of Life for Garth will be held: 

Saturday June 8, 2019 at 1:30pm
Sechelt Senior’s Centre 
5604 Trail Avenue 
Sechelt, B.C.  (Sunshine Coast)