We regret to advise of the unexpected death of Chief Warrant Officer Keith Phillip Jones MMM, CD (Ret’d) of Grande Digue, NB at the Dr. George's L. Dumont University Hospital in Moncton, NB on Tuesday, 29 May 2018 at age 63. Keith was a former Canadian Military Engineer Branch Chief Warrant Officer who had served 37 years with the Canadian Military Engineers and a total of 40 years with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Born in Ottawa, ON, Keith joined the Canadian Forces in the Reserves in 1974 as a Gunner with 30th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery of Ottawa. With them he deployed to Egypt with the United Nations Emergency Force II (1976-77) and, upon his return to Canada, Keith joined the Canadian Military Engineers when he transferred to the Regular Force as a Construction Technician.
After completing his Trade Qualification Level 5 course in Chilliwack, BC at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering, Keith was posted to Base Kingston where he served several tours with both 1 Line Troop and Base Kingston Construction Engineering Section. In 1981 he was posted to the Construction Engineering (CE) Section in Trenton, ON and, while in Trenton, he spent many months deployed to Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, NU where he worked on numerous construction projects.
Promoted to Master Corporal, Keith became the Station Construction Engineering Officer at CFS Kamloops, BC for three years after which he was posted to 1 Construction Engineering Unit (1 CEU) in Winnipeg, MB. While with 1 CEU he spent five summers in the High Arctic working on the new DEW Line environmental clean-up project.
Keith then returned to CFB Trenton in 1988 during which tour he completed a United Nations peacekeeping tour in Cyprus (1989-90) as the Engineer Troop Warrant Officer. In 1990 he was posted to CFB Chatham as Construction Engineering Production Officer and also held the appointment of the Unit Warrant Officer. He then returned to 1 CEU Winnipeg in 1993 during which time he deployed to Haiti. Upon his return to Canada, he moved with the unit to Moncton, NB where he completed two tours in Bosnia as well as a number of Technical Assistance Visits.
Keith was then posted to Canadian Forces Support Unit (Europe) in Germany in 1999 as the Technical Services Officer as well as holding the Unit Warrant Officer appointment. After four years in Europe, he returned to 1 CEU (then named 1 Engineer Support Unit) as the Engineering Squadron Chief Warrant Officer. In 2004, he returned to Bosnia for an 8-month tour as the Second-in-Command of the Engineer Support Unit in Velika Kladusa. Following this tour, Keith was appointed the Base Chief Warrant Officer for CFB/ASU Edmonton in 2007 and, during this tour, he was also appointed as the Chief Warrant Officer Champion for CF Persons with Disabilities – an appointment he held until his retirement from the CAF.
In September 2010 Keith was appointed as the 13th Canadian Military Engineer Branch Chief Warrant Officer. Upon completion of this assignment in 2012, he was posted to Canadian Forces Housing Agency as the Senior Military Advisor. He retired in 2014 and settled in Grande Digue, NB.
Keith always found time to contribute to the community wherever he lived. Volunteering at school breakfast programs, organizing and participating in Remembrance Day Programs, Run for the Cure, 100 km March for the Soldier On Program, marching on the Coldest Night of the Year... the list is endless. He was a strong advocate of fitness and was appointed as the Canadian Contingent Nijmegen Task Force Regimental Sergeant Major in 2006. He held this appointment until his retirement from the CAF and was awarded the Dutch Order "Knight of the Orange Nassau" in 2015 for his outstanding work with the Nijmegin Marches.
Visitation will be held at Fair Haven Funeral Home [1177 Salisbury Road, Moncton] on Sunday, 3 June 2018 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A service to celebrate Keith's life will be held in the chapel of Fair Haven Funeral Home on Monday, 4 June 2018 at 2:00 pm. A Legion Service to honour Keith's long military career will precede the chapel service. Interment will be at Fair Haven Cemetery in the Field of Honour Section.
Flowers are gratefully declined in favour of a donation to the Soldier On Program. Condolences can be sent to the Funeral Home.
