Wednesday, October 5, 2005

LLHS valedictorian dies in crash

Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin

Los Lunas A promising future was cut tragically short Saturday morning when a young man from Los Lunas — one who dreamed of becoming an aerospace engineer — died in a single-vehicle rollover accident near Socorro.

Friends and family said Robbie Jones, 20, had always reached for the stars as he racked up academic honors, laurels for his musical talent and trophies for his athletic prowess.

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Jones was on his way home from school at New Mexico Tech at about 11:15 a.m. when the vehicle he was driving rolled four times. State police said he was pronounced dead on the scene.

The news of Jones' death has been overshadowed this week by memories of his life. The sophomore at New Mexico Tech is being remembered as a scholar, a gentleman, a dedicated athlete and a caring son and brother.

Jones, who was one of seven students who shared the honor of being named valedictorians at Los Lunas High School in 2004, is being mourned by his family, his friends and his community. His parents, Chris and Linda Jones, said their oldest son was coming home to take his girlfriend, Erin, to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.

"When he did not show up and I didn't know where he was, I got in the car and decided that I was going to start driving south, thinking maybe his car had broken down," Linda Jones said on Tuesday. "I drove all the way to Socorro, and I never saw anything. I went to his dorm room and talked to his roommate and he said that he had left this morning."

On her way back north, Linda received a phone call from Erin's mother who told her to go back to Socorro and talk to state police because there may have been an accident. When she did, the officer escorted her into the building and delivered the shocking news.

Robbie Jones is described as a young man who was determined and knew what he wanted out of life. He knew how to achieve success, his family said, whether it was in academics, swimming or band.

Jones was pursuing his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at New Mexico Tech and was looking forward to entering a master's program in aerospace engineering. While he didn't want to be an astronaut, his parents said his dream was to one day work for NASA.

"Since he was little, he always enjoyed math — he thrived on math," she said. "He just thought the world revolved around math. From the day he started talking, he was very articulate — there was no baby talk with him. He was saying full sentences when he started to talk."

As an honor student at New Mexico Tech, Jones was also a member of the National Honor Society, the Math Club and the American Society of Mathematical Engineers.

"From what we've garnered from his friends and professors here at New Mexico Tech, we understand that Robert Jones was an outstanding student who made a lasting impression on all who knew him," said New Mexico Tech President Daniel H. Lopez.

"The entire campus community shares in the loss of this exceptional young man, and we extend our thoughts and prayers to his parents and the rest of his family during this profound personal tragedy. "

Along with playing trumpet for Los Lunas High School's jazz, marching and symphonic band, he was also a stand-out swimmer. His high school coach, Lin Onsae said Jones was a motivated and determined student-athlete. Jones was the District 3-5A champion in the 100-yard breaststroke and was a member of the Tigers' school-record setting 200 medley relay team.

"He was on track," said the coach. "He knew what he wanted to do, and he was doing it."

Henry Estrada, the band director for Los Lunas High School, said he was shocked when he heard the news of Jones' death. He said he remembered Jones as an excellent trumpet player and thought of him as an extended member of his own family.

"Robbie was a highly competitive kid," Estrada said. "He was a top chair in the trumpet section in the jazz band his senior year. He was a terrific kid and was really bright and dependable. He contributed a lot to the program and he had a bright future ahead of him. He had so much to contribute to our society, and we're all just trying to cope with this tragic loss."

Academics and athletics were only a part of who Robbie Jones was. He loved the thrill of riding roller coasters so much that the family would plan their vacations around destinations that had the tallest and fastest.

He loved to travel, to water and snow ski, to eat chocolate and he loved his family.

"He was a wonderful son," his mother said. "He always gave me hugs and kisses and told me good-bye and 'I love you' before he left. That was our routine."

"In the last few years, we were able to be friends, not so much father and son, but friends," said Chris Jones. "We could talk and we could ask each other our opinions on things. It was just getting great."

His parents said that, in the last few years, their son had really blossomed into a fine young man and a lot of that had to do with his girlfriend, Erin. They said she got him to do things that they couldn't such as shop for clothes, try different foods or just relax.

"I knew him since my sophomore year in high school, and I knew right away that I loved him," Cook said. "I just such a big crush on him. He was the hardest working person I have ever met and I would get frustrated sometimes because he has so much perseverance.

"I think I knew somebody that was someone different than what everyone else saw," she said. "He was so sweet, he put so much thought into everything that he did. He was really motivational and he inspired me a lot. It means so much that all these people are mourning him because I don't think he knew how many people he affected."

Jones was also very close to his younger brother, Matthew. Not only was Robbie a role model to his brother but he was a friend and mentor, his parents said.

"We were exceedingly proud of him — not just Robbie, but Matthew as well," Linda said. "The first thing you noticed about Robbie when you looked at him was his incredibly blue eyes, which caused him so much embarrassment. His eyes were an attention-getter, one that he wasn't comfortable with. But his girlfriend sure loved them."

"I remember when he was just a small child, there was some high school girls who would walk up to him and touch his face say 'Look at those eyes, look at those eyelashes'," his father, Chris, remembered. "He was a private person really. If people didn't know him, they would think he was very serious, but once people get to know him, they would learn that he had a wonderful sense of humor."

A memorial service and rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at San Clemente Catholic Church in Los Lunas. The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Robert Jones Memorial Fund at New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union. Funds will be used to support the band and swimming programs at Los Lunas High School.

"The community support has been wonderful, and it's not just been in Los Lunas, but Belen as well," Linda Jones said. "We thank them for everything they have done for us — the hugs, the food and the shoulders to cry on."

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