Friends and family say Dan Jones of Creve Coeur had a personality that was “larger than life itself.”
“He was definitely a person who loved to help and serve others,” said Mickey, Jones’ wife. “He loved God, his family and his friends. He was a family man through and through.”
Jones, 62, died Aug. 30. He was the former owner of the Tri-County Sports Shop in Creve Coeur, where he was known as a go-to salesperson for local schools, studios and sports teams. When the store closed 11 years ago, Jones worked at Costco in East Peoria as a gas station supervisor. He also worked as a volunteer firefighter and founded a still-active fundraising event called the Sweet Kids Cruise-In & Car Show, which benefits the Pediatric Diabetes Resource Center.
Jones’ love for his community was evident in his willingness to socialize with customers and give back. His community clearly loved him, as Mickey estimated that between 700 and 800 people attended his visit earlier this month at Preston-Hanley Funeral Home.
“It showed how special he was,” Mickey said. “It was overwhelming to see so many people that he influenced come out to pay their respects and honor him.”
Jones’ lifelong friend Tom Schatsiek of Creve Coeur went to elementary school with him. Although they later went to different high schools, Schatsiek insisted it didn’t get in the way of their friendship. They also both became volunteer firefighters in Creve Coeur. “When we were teenagers, we would drive down Main Street (in Peoria) in his Camaro,” he said. “That was probably every Friday and Saturday night.”
Mickey said Jones also attended all of his children’s sporting events, dance recitals, school plays and band concerts.
“I only remember him missing one event, and that was when his grandmother was in the (Intensive Care Unit),” she said. “Other than that, we went to every event our kids did, and they did a bunch of things. … We went to Florida twice for cheerleading competitions, and we went to Texas twice for football games when our son was in college.”
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Jones was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 14; his daughter Emily Thigpen was diagnosed as a teenager. Both had a love of classic cars and combined that passion with a desire to help children newly diagnosed with diabetes through the Sweet Kids Cruise In. Since its inception in 2011, the Cruise In has raised more than $100,000.
“We thought it would be a one-year thing,” Thigpen said. “But we raised five or six thousand dollars and had so much fun that when people asked if we should make it an annual event, it seemed like a no-brainer.”
“The Cruise In was always a great fellowship event,” said Jones’ sister, Diane Hemp. “Sometimes there were over 100 cars and people were talking and texting. There were silent auctions for baskets and a 50/50 raffle.”
In his spare time, Jones enjoyed hunting, cooking, his assortment of smokers, and vacationing at Lake of the Ozarks. He also enjoyed rock music from the 70s and 80s — particularly Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
“There was always music playing,” Thigpen said. “There was a stereo inside. There was a stereo in the garage. There was a stereo in the shop where he worked. Wherever he was, there was always a stereo playing and it was always loud.”
Thigpen’s favorite memories of her father include the spontaneous after-school dance parties and traditional family vacations, which often included friends.
“It’s going to be hard to go back to Lake of the Ozarks without him because he was a part of every memory,” she said. “Whether it was skiing, teaching people to ski, jet skiing or fishing off the dock, he was there, just like he was there for us, pretty much every day of our lives.”
In addition to Mickey, he is survived by his parents, Jerry and Pat Jones of Creve Coeur; his brother Tom; his sister Hemp of Metamora; daughters Maria Bollinger of East Peoria, Danielle Keen of Tremont and Thigpen of Creve Coeur; son Rob Jones of Groveland; 12 grandchildren; and a veritable army of friends.
Mickey said she had many fond memories of her life with Jones, but her absolute favorite was their wedding day, which took place just eight months after they met. Their 25th wedding anniversary celebration with family and friends probably came in a close second, she added.
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“Our family and friends sent us on a belated honeymoon/anniversary trip to Hawaii,” Mickey said. “That was probably the most peaceful, relaxing vacation we’ve ever had. The fact that our family and friends planned it for us made it even more special.”
This article originally appeared on the Journal Star: Co-Founder of Creve Coeur, Illinois, Sweet Kids Cruise-In Dies at 62
