William S. Jones of Lucerne, Calif., passed quietly in his sleep May 20, 2013, at the age of 97.

His wife, Margery passed away in her sleep Dec. 31, 2012. After 78 years of marriage, Bill missed her terribly and only wanted to be with her again.

A longtime resident of Lake County, Calif., Bill was born in Albany, Ore. on July 18, 1915.

After the death of his mother in 1918, Bills father remarried and Bill became step-brother to two brothers and four sisters. One brother, Robert, and two sisters, Gail and Jean are still living.

Bill and Marge had three children. The oldest, Willard, died at two weeks of age. Their daughter Dorothy and her husband Fred lived in Lucerne from 2003-2008 and now live in Penney Farms, Fla. Son Larry and wife Mieko have lived in Lucerne since 2008. Larry and Dorothy are happy they could keep their parents in their own home these past 10 years.

Bill joined the U.S. Border Patrol in 1940. Even though married and the father of two children, Bill wanted to serve in World War II and joined the Navy in March 1944 and served with distinction.

He came home in December 1945 and went back to the Border Patrol and eventually moved to the U.S. Immigration Service. After 25 years in government service Bill retired.

Bill and Marge loved to Lake County from the first time they vacationed in Nice in 1943 so before retiring in the late 1950s, they purchased property on Foothill Drive in Lucerne.

After traveling in a motor home for five years, they settled down in Lucerne where Bill became a real estate agent/broker and spent 30 years working with May Noble, broker-owner of Noble Realty, eventually becoming vice president.

Bill and Marge had seven grandsons, one now deceased; 16 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. They were very much loved by their grandsons who have happy memories of time spent at Clear Lake with them.

Anyone who knew Bill and Marge are invited to be a guest of the family at the noon lunch at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center on Monday, June 3.

Memorial gifts in Bill's honor will be gladly received by the Senior Center, P.O. Box 937, Lucerne, CA 95458.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary.