45.67 (+0.01) Date posted: 03/14/2010*
On Friday, March 12th, outside Los Angeles, family and friends gathered for a funeral service for Jon Jones, Raytheon vice president and president of Space and Airborne Systems, who passed away unexpectedly on March 6th. At the funeral service, William H. Swanson, Raytheon’s Chairman and CEO, eulogized his colleague and friend. His remarks follow:
Eulogy for Jon Jones
By: William H. Swanson
March 12, 2010
Good morning everyone. Alexis and Ashley, I want to thank you for giving me the privilege of speaking here this morning. On behalf of my wife, Cheryl, and all of Jon’s friends and colleagues at Raytheon, many of whom are here today, we offer our deepest condolences to each of you.
To Alexis and Ashley, who Jon always called the loves of his life … his mother, Grace … his sister, Janet … and all his family … our hearts go out to you.
Jon was a true patriot, a dedicated engineer, an exceptional business leader, and, most of all, a wonderful colleague and friend. My relationship with Jon brings to mind an Arabic proverb, the translation of which is this: “Friends are the siblings God never gave us.”
To me, one of Jon’s greatest qualities was that, as a leader, Jon truly cared — not just about the business numbers, but about the people: his employees, his customers and the men and women in uniform he served. Jon was a leader who was widely known for his big heart, his kindness and his generosity to others. As a leader, Jon demonstrated the core values of our company each and every day.
One of these values is People. Jon cared so much about the thousands of employees who depended on his leadership, and he treated everyone on his team with respect and dignity. He was such a good listener; this is a rare and valued skill in today’s business environment.
And I know it won’t surprise anyone here today to hear that Jon was fully committed to everything he did. I experienced this very clearly when I asked him to be our Executive Diversity Champion for the company. This position requires one to search one’s soul. Jon did just that. It was evident. He served with distinction, and he set the tone from his heart for the company’s diversity journey — and he let all of us see that first hand. Jon was not afraid to talk about his own challenges in this area; he spoke openly of his own growth and used those stories to help others learn.
Another value Jon demonstrated time and again was Integrity. Jon always did what was right for our company and for our customers, starting with our servicemen and women. He knew how important it was to their safety and success that he be honest, forthright and trustworthy. Jon was a true patriot. I can tell you firsthand that I know there are men and women who served in our military who are home today because of the work Jon dedicated his life to. He was an engineer’s engineer and earned everyone’s respect. Let me just reference a few of the many important programs that Jon was responsible for: Tomahawk, AMRAAM, ATFLIR, AIM-9X Sidewinder, J-SOW, F-18 Airborne Radars and ASTOR to name a few. Jon’s excellence, his commitment and his passion for his work went into each product. I think it’s fair to say that each of these systems has a little bit of Jon in them.
When it came to our employees, Jon demonstrated that doing what was right could also be fun, like when he accepted an invitation to go for a ride with a Raytheon motorcycle club in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This happened not long after he was named to the lofty position of president of our Space and Airborne Systems business. Jon was thrilled with that invitation and, on the appointed day, there he was at the head of the pack, having a great time in a pair of jeans, boots and a beat-up jacket, sitting on a Harley, and earning the respect of all who rode with him.
Jon loved that story, and can’t we all just picture him laughing that day as “the new guy” showed his support and his leadership by letting his hair down and being just one of the pack for a day. When I think of that story I can’t help but be reminded of the movie “Wild Hogs” with John Travolta. It’s a hilarious take on a group of middle-aged men taking a Harley road trip. Watch it if you get a chance and laugh … and think of Jon.
Commitment is another value Jon demonstrated time and again. He honored his commitments to customers, employees, partners and colleagues. Even his competitors had tremendous respect for Jon. They all knew, as we did, that you could take his word to the bank.
Lastly, Jon exhibited Excellence in all he did. He understood the importance of the work he was leading and he would not settle for anything less than the best. His team knew that and respected him for it, and so did I.
The best way to say it is this: Jon’s values came from the heart. And what a big heart it was. All of us here today feel that loss so keenly. It’s unimaginable that we will no longer have this kind and generous man in our lives.
I thought I would close with this prayer that I carry with me. It comforts me when I am thinking of those I miss, those who are no longer with us physically, but whose spirit lingers on in our hearts:
May you always walk in sunshine
and God's love around you flow,
for the happiness you gave us,
no one will ever know.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
but you did not go alone,
a part of us went with you
the day God called you home.
A million times we’ve needed you,
a million times we’ve cried.
If love could only have saved you,
you never would have died.
The Lord be with you, Jon … and May you Rest in Peace my friend.
God bless you all.
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Jon C. Jones
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Make a Donation
A scholarship under Jon’s name has been established at UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. Donations can be sent to:
Joe Donahoo
UCLA Engineering
7256 Boelter Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1600
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