LEE ROY JONES March 10, 1966 – Sept. 3, 2024
Lee Roy Jones rode his bike with abandon to the eternal mountains and trails above on Sept. 3, 2024, after a courageous battle with a rare autoimmune disease. Lee was 58 years old.
Lee was born in the Philippines to a Navy serviceman and a native Filipina. His small family moved to the United States when he was just a toddler, and Lee grew up in Los Alamos, NM, where he graduated high school in 1984.
Lee’s childhood was full of adventures and joy in the canyons and mountains of northern New Mexico. From a young age, Lee’s feet were seldom separate from his bike pedals. There aren’t many trails near his childhood hometown, nor his current home in Highlands Ranch, CO, that weren’t slayed by Lee’s expert pedaling and maneuvering. In 1997, Lee competed in one of the first X Games in Snow Mountain Bike Racing, where he proudly won a Bronze Medal in the Dual Downhill Men’s Category.
Lee’s passion extended to vintage Toyota trucks, which he spent countless hours restoring and enjoying. He raced, showed, and cherished his Toyotas, embodying his love for these vehicles.
Lee shared his talents and passions with his sons, Trevor and Luke, who he proudly called his “greatest accomplishments”. He spent summer weekends in Winter Park, CO, riding downhill trails with Trevor and enjoyed BMX biking and working on Toyota trucks with both his sons.
He deeply cherished his time with his fiancée, Ingrid Mielke. Together, they went 4-wheeling, attended musical concerts, traveled in a 1998 Toyota Dolphin camper across New Mexico and Colorado, and enjoyed their favorite Irish pub on the weekends. Lee loved their life together and looked forward to marrying Ingrid in the coming years. Ingrid lovingly cared for Lee throughout his illness, providing great comfort until his last breath.
Lee was very close to his father, David Jones, recently gifting him an E-Bike. He fondly recalled their recent visit to the Valles Caldera National Preserve, where David works as a Park Ranger, as one of his happiest memories.
As a protective and caring big brother, Lee took his role seriously with his sisters, Jiji and Linda. Jiji fondly recalls Lee’s protective ways – from when her tiny mittened hands needed her brother’s hand to walk through the snow, to the teen years when potential boyfriends clearly understood her older brother was watching. Jiji is very grateful for the closeness they shared during his illness, when they reflected on the joyful times while facing difficult moments.
Linda grew up admiring her “cool” big brother and always wanted to be his sidekick. They loved the same kind of music and saw some of their favorite bands in concert together. Linda enjoyed watching him compete, joyfully cheering him on at bike races. Linda will always admire her big brother and will continue to strive to be as cool as he was.
Lee is preceded in death by his beloved mother, Mercedes (Anna) Jones, and his biking buddy and brother-in-law, Patrick M. McCarron.
He is survived by his father, David F. Jones; his sons, Trevor and Luke Jones; his sister Jeannie (Jiji) McCarron; his sister Melinda (Linda) Jones; and his fiancée, Ingrid Mielke.
A Celebration of Life will be held on October 20th, 2024, at Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos, NM, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to send music requests, photos, or “Lee stories” to Melinda Jones at lindianajones165@gmail.com.