William Benton Jones

Bill was fortunate to live for 94 years and so often he expressed thankfulness for the life he lived and the people who were in his life. This obituary is in part a thank you note to all who supported and encouraged him in his life.

He was born in 1931 in Bonham, Texas, to Benton and Sallie (Hendricks) Jones, the last of six children. His siblings were Helen, Paul, Geneva, Mary Jane and Sarah, all of whom preceded him in death. Thanks to his loving parents, siblings and extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, nieces, nephews and school friends, he had a childhood that he cherished. The city of Bonham always held a special place in his heart, and although he never lived there again after his childhood, he traveled there often and remained close to family and friends who lived in the area.

He graduated from Bonham High School in 1948 and headed to Austin to attend the University of Texas. His brother Paul had a job waiting for him, and thanks to Paul and to a generous and gracious landlady, he had the opportunity to work his way through college, earning a BBA in 1953. He was a lifelong Texas Longhorns football fan, watching every game, he could on television and attending some games in person over the years.

He entered the Army in 1953 and spent most of his time in South Korea, where he managed three NCO clubs for the Army.

After his discharge from the Army, he moved to Dallas. During this time, he had the good fortune to meet Bobbie Nell Johnson of Cooper, Texas. He said that Bobbie had all the great attributes he was looking for in a spouse, and they married in Bonham in 1956. They were the proud parents of two children, Angela and Russell. His second wife was Mary Elizabeth Nielsen, and although their marriage was relatively short, it was a happy one. Both Bobbie and Mary preceded him in death.

His first career job was with the 3M company, where he worked for 10 years, followed by stints at Mosler Safe Company and Smith Corona. In 1969, he won a Ford Mustang in a sales contest while at Smith Corona. Instead of taking the car, he took the money and started his own business, Southwestern Safe Company. He was able to land national accounts with companies such as McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Goodyear. He had the support and assistance of all his employees and could not have done what he did without them. He was especially thankful for the support of long-time employee Sherlock Pahalan, who also became a close friend.

Thanks to the success of his company, he was able to fulfill one of his life’s dreams – to travel and explore the world. Over the last 45 years of his life, he traveled to 156 countries and traveled to some of those multiple times. He traveled to all seven continents at least three times and even made it up to the North Pole. He documented his travels with photos and videos and thoroughly enjoyed both editing footage of the places he had visited and sharing his travel videos with friends and family.

In later years, he did much of his travels with his good friend Nancy Burk. Bill and Nancy enjoyed many adventures together and had a similar zest for life that they shared with one another. Bill always considered Nancy’s friendship a comfort to him at that point in his life.

Of all the things he did in life, Bill was most proud of his family, especially his children and grandchildren. He was a loving father to his daughter Angela and son Russell and was especially proud of their accomplishments, bragging about them every time he introduced them to someone new. When Russell married Jennifer Greenwood, Bill was delighted to welcome her into the family. His granddaughters Marissa and Alexa brought much happiness and joy to their granddad. He enjoyed boasting about them all as well and supported them by happily attending their many choir, dancing and marching band events. He continued to give love and support to his extended family, especially his many nieces and nephews.

In later years, Bill lived at Atria Canyon Creek, Parkview in Allen and Appletree Court Assisted Living. He made many friends quickly wherever he lived and enjoyed sharing his videos and stories about his travels. Bill was also an avid bridge player who looked forward to his weekly bridge games and tournaments.

The family would like to thank Appletree Court Assisted Living, Holdings Hands Hospice, and Visiting Angels of Richardson for their care of Bill in his last months. They would also like to thank his good friends Melissa Shell and Bill Tillerson for their prayers and support of Bill during this time.

The family will receive friends for a visitation from 6-8:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at Allen Family Funeral Options.

There will be a funeral service to celebrate Bill’s life at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at Allen Family Funeral Options. Bill will be laid to rest at Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to the charity of your choice.