The following are remembrances of former SMA executive director and stalwart Bill, Jones, PhD., who rode his last wave into the sunset on August 3, 2022.
Published by Monterey Herald on August 28, 2022.
Bill Jones left this earthly world on Wednesday, August 3. He was a father, grandfather, brother, friend, Eagle Scout, avid surfer, and an all-around “cool dude”. Born April 20, 1948, in Worcester, Massachusetts to Dorothy and Elmer Jones. He discovered his passion for the ocean when they moved to California in 1960. Bill dedicated his life to education. He graduated from Whittier College in 1970 with a BA in History. Earned two Masters’ Degrees; one in Special Education and Counseling from Santa Clara University, and the other from St. Mary’s College in Educational Leadership and School Administration. His surf trips took him to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Europe, Tavarua and Mexico, and numerous islands off the coast of Indonesia. Bill taught almost every grade from kindergarten to college level. His work with students who navigated academic challenges was close to his heart, as he himself was diagnosed with dyslexia. In 1983, Bill began his career at Monterey Peninsula College, where he was the Learning Disabilities Specialist and taught the popular class called “Becoming the Master Student”. Bill prided himself on his involvement with Rotary International (Proyecto Niño in Mexico), the Flying Doctors-Los Medicos Voladores, and the Surfers Medical Association where he served as Executive Director for many years. He also served as editor-in-chief of Surfing Medicine from 2008-11. Despite navigating numerous complex medical issues, Bill found a way to get out and go surfing and maintained a fully stoked attitude until the very end. He was an inspiration to young and ageing surfers from Monterey to the Mentawais.
Bill is survived by his daughters, Molly Casarez (Brandon) and Emily Robledo (Oz), their mother and his friend, Joan C. Jones, grandchildren Auggie and Cameron Robledo, his sister, Barbara (Bill), their children and families, and his many, many friends. A paddle out will be held on Saturday, September 17 at 10 am at Moss Beach in Pebble Beach. Memorial contributions can be made to the Surfers Medical Association. https://www.surfersmedicalassociation.org/product/donate/
From Norm Vinn, DO
There were many sides of Bill Jones.
As a surfer and lover of life who wasn’t afraid to laugh at his own follies.
When I first knew Bill, he was known as a “hard charger”. He was fearless and would take off on critical waves – sometimes with comic outcomes; sometimes with a few body dings. I remember one morning in the Mentawai’s when he took off at Hollow Trees on an impossible-to-make wave. After a spectacular trip over the falls, he got dragged across a shallow reef known as the “Surgeons table.” He paddled back to the boat, laughing hysterically about the wipeout. With blood streaming down both legs, he kept asking us: “did you see that? Did you SEE that ??? Wasn’t that GREAT?!?.”
As a teacher and mentor
Bill was a Southern CA native who (according to Bill), went through somewhat of a wild youth as a party animal and surf bum, until he settled down and earned undergraduate, masters and Ph.D degrees. He had a long and successful career as a teacher and college professor in the field of what used to be called Special Education.
When my own daughter gravitated toward this path, Bill was very supportive of her career development and took great pride in considering her to be one of his protege’s.
As a leader in the SMA
My first memory of Bill was meeting him at the 1993 Tavarua conference where he was serving as conference director. He got along well with everyone, but was not shy about taking charge and keeping both the surfing and educational programs on track.
When Paula Smith made a decision to retire as Executive Director of the SMA, Bill stepped in and spent long hours working with the SMA members and both organizing his own conferences as well as coordinating other SMA conferences. I have no idea how many conferences he organized and /or attended, but there were a lot of them. He did several conferences to the Galapagos, one to mainland Ecuador, and a more recent conference in Punta de Mita near Puerto Vallarta.
He also was a key liaison to a sister organization, the European Association of Surfing Doctors (later Surfing Medicine International) and attended a number of their conferences, thus supporting international awareness of the SMA.
As a person
Bill had a great sense of humor, but also had a big heart. He was loyal and attentive to his friends, always interested in what was going on with them personally and professionally. He was also continually focused on volunteerism and community health. Whenever we were on SMA trips he wanted to know if we could help the locals with health issues. Besides the SMA, he spent considerable time supporting the missions of Rotary International, with particular interest in bringing reading glasses and sunglasses to individuals living in the underpriveleged communities.
As a friend and travelling companion
While there could be long gaps in actual face to face time, we spent a lot of time together on trips over the years. We also rendezvous’ed for dinner or coffee whenever I came to Monterey.
Bill went on so many surf trips and adventures it would be hard to catalogue all of them, but I was priveleged to travel with him to Tavarua, the Mentawais, the Galapagos, Nicaragua, and Mexico. He was just a great guy to travel with. We could flex from the most basic surf rat conversations, to SMA business, to art, politics, family values, and the meaning of life. There is an old expression indicating whether or not someone “travels well” – meaning being a good travelling companion. Bill travelled as well as anyone I’ve ever known.
As an Ambassador of Lifelong Stoke
Someone once said: “you keep the stoke until you croak.” Later in his life, Bill experienced a number of significant health problems. Despite the challenges they presented, he was determined to be someone who maintained a positive attitude and lifelong stoke. When he couldn’t surf well anymore, he became a dedicated SUP’er. Almost every day he would get up early, check the surf report, and head out to Asilomar to get his quota of 2-3 waves.
Years ago I floated the term “Surfiatrics” to Bill – suggesting that there are strategies for maintaing stoke and maximal function as one moves through the aging process. As the years went by and we caught fewer and fewer waves in each session, we had a standing joke that “we are are no longer surfing; we are bobbing!!”. We had a lot of laughs about our ongoing status as dedicated bobbers.
In summary, Bill Jones was one of a kind. Bruce Springsteen wrote a song about the loss of a close friend. One stanza is a particularly good fit for Bill:
Well they built the Titanic to be one of a kind but many ships have ruled the seas
They built the Eiffel Tower to stand alone but they could build another if they please The Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt, are unique I suppose
But when they built you, brother, they broke the mold
Vaya con Dios, my friend.
From Michael Allen
Dr. Bill Jones was a member of the original elite surfing medical crew (along with Mark Renneker, MD and Geoff Booth, MD) that came up with the humanitarian idea that surfing remote places on the planet could also assist local indigenous people; surf beautiful remote places, bring necessary supplies, and provide free medical care that normally would be inaccessible. Thus, the Surfer’s Medical Association (SMA) was born. The concept of free medical care meant bringing necessary medical supplies, and this quickly expanded into teaching locals’ basic medical health care knowledge. Soon teams were bringing other necessities to the local children such as paper, pencils, shoes, and even soccer balls. These items common to us were greatly needed in these remote locations. What came from this philosophical approach was not only humanitarian aid, but also the advent of Surfing Wilderness Medicine.
Within the SMA, learning about surfing wilderness medicine became available as part of the membership. Dr. Jones was a pioneer, and could tell stories about cleaning wounds, stitching up lacerations, and saving lives in remote areas, all with what he carried on his back. He was resourceful, intuitive, creative, and his ingenuity made him a pioneer.
Dr. Jones was also a contributor to the SMA Surfing Medicine journal sharing his expertise through his many experiences traveling to remote surfing locations. He was a man that possessed a wealth of knowledge. He always maintained his youthfulness, but spoke from a place of wisdom of a man that had been around for centuries. He touched so many lives and I personally am so grateful to him for the wisdom he passed on to me. He indeed was the Kahuna, the man that people looked up to.
Although we will miss your presence, we will continue your humanitarian efforts through kindness, teaching, and striving for human excellence.
Surf on Bill,
Michael A. Allen, M.Phil, WFR
From Clay Everline, MD
Bill was a great man.
Will always remember the waves we had in Galapagos and going to Coxos and staying with him in Portugal.
a hui ho my friend
aloha
From Ingvar Berg, MD
My condolences to you all and to Bill’s family. I remember our first meeting with Bill online, and later live in 2012 in Sagres, Portugal. Bill full of enthusiasm, engaging with everyone around him as he emptied a suitcase filled with SMA gifts. Lecturing on how to overcome his own injuries and diseases and keep on surfing and supping. Attached a picture of him at the opening BBQ in Sagres 2012. (See opening picture)
He was an inspiration and joy to be with.
All the best to you all and hope to paddle out together in the future.