William Gordon Jones, 92, of Oakville Ontario, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on December 6th 2019.

Gordon was born on September 16, 1927 in Liverpool, England to John and Ellen (Turner) Jones. He graduated from Nepean High School in Ottawa, having been evacuated to Canada with his brother Gwynn during World War 2. In Ottawa he lived with his Aunt Dolly and Uncle Willie Jones and their two sons Howard and Robert. He returned to England at 17 to serve in the Royal Navy for four years, and then emigrated back to Canada, in 1950. He married Janet Swerdfager in 1959, and they raised four children in Oakville.

Ambitious and enterprising, Gordon began his career in the financial industry at the Bank of Canada. He earned his CA through correspondence, and after 12 years with the bank, moved to Burns Brothers and Denton where he began as a bond trader and over twelve years assumed responsibility for all areas of fixed income trading and underwriting. In 1973 he went to Merrill Lynch Canada, becoming the President and CEO in 1984. During his career he played an active role in industry affairs, and served as the Chairman of The Investment Dealers Association and Governor of The Toronto Stock Exchange.

Gordon loved to garden, and was an excellent handyman. He was an avid reader with a particular interest in the history of the Second World War. His storytelling was well known and he looked back on much of his life with gratitude and happiness. He enjoyed travel and the theatre, and did both in his later years with his companion Pat Ciprick. He was generous, supporting many charities with his time and resources and was active in his church community of St. John's United for 50 years.

Gordon was preceded in death by his wife Janet, brother Gwyn Jones and cousins Robert and Howard.  He is survived by his children: Susan (John Schumacher), Laura (Mike Rasberry), David (Sarah) and Karen Jones and his twelve grandchildren: Adam, Matt, Laura, Jenna, Robert, Rachel, Katrina, Sarah, Michael, Wiliam, Peter and Simon, and three great grandchildren: Bennett, Cooper and Lawson, and many nieces, nephews and dear friends.

A memorial service will be held at St John's United Church (262 Randall St., Oakville, ON L6J 1P9) at 3pm on Saturday, January 4, 2020. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Habitat for Humanity or Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Foundation.