Attorney who became active in Springfield community dies

An out-of-state attorney who moved to and became active in Springfield after retiring died June 3. Bob Jones was 88.

Jones, who worked as an attorney for Bonneville Power Administration in Oregon for many years but never practiced in Missouri, retired in 2004 and moved to the Queen City, where he was active with the city and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, according to his obituary at WalnutLawnFuneralHome.com.

For the city of Springfield, Jones was a member of the Police-Fire Pension Fund Citizens’ Task Force, which City Manager Greg Burris says played a part in stabilizing the city.

“Bob took his responsibility on the task force seriously, always did his homework, came to the meetings prepared, and was able to drill down to the crux of the issue. He struck me as being both incredibly intelligent and always lighthearted. He did a great service to our community,” Burris said in a news release.

Jones served on other city boards and commissions, including the traffic advisory board.

According to an SMBA announcement of his death, Jones became an active member of the bar when he moved to Springfield. He attended monthly lunch meeting and many other SMBA functions.