About

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Benjamin R. Jones

Benjamin Robert Jones, age 30, tragically passed away on Aug. 19, 2020 in Royal Oak. He was born on Aug. 10, 1990 in Kalamazoo, Mich. to Bruce and Theresa Jones.

Ben attended Muskegon Catholic Central schools, graduating in 2009, where he played football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. He continued his football career at Hillsdale College and graduated in 2013 with his Bachelor of Science in Financial Management and a minor in Mathematics.

He then moved to Royal Oak, Mich. and began working at Schwartz and Co Investment Advisors as a Portfolio Manager and Financial Planner. 

Ben's love of football evolved from playing to coaching as he became an assistant varsity football coach at Cranbrook Kingswood in Bloomfield Hills, from 2015-2018. In June of 2019, Cranbrook Kingswood announced that Ben would become the Crane's Varsity Football Head Coach. He went on to lead his team to a playoff berth.

Ben will be greatly missed by his parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, many cousins, friends, mentors, and teammates.

Quotes about Ben

"...He had an inner self-confidence that you could tell right away when talking to him. He was very positive,” Otter said, “He encouraged his teammates, personally worked very hard at getting better, and tried to find a way to help our football team, and was very unselfish...”

Keith Otterbein, Head Football Coach, Hillsdale College

"...Here's a guy that was the epitome of a high school football coach," Graf said. "He loved the game, he loved the kids, he loved the coaches. He embodied all that is a leader... "

Steve Graf, Cranbrook A.D.

"...He was the greatest teammate you could have. He was there for you in your personal life, every day on the field as an example of being the hardest worker out there. Ben never left an ounce of energy off the field...”

Jon Hornak, Friend and Teammate