age 63, originally of Douglaston, NY (and more recently of Warwick, RI) passed from this world on February 7th, 2016.

Harry is the son of the deceased Harry B. Jones, Sr. Harry is survived by his mother, June (Ellinwood) Jones of Douglaston, NY.He also leaves a brother and sister-in-law, Michael & Barbara Jones of Douglaston, NY and a sister, Pamela Murphy of Cranston,RI. His surviving children include Joseph Montalbano of Levittown, NY, Mimi-Louise Canone of Holbrook, NY, Charles Montalbano of Brooklyn, NY, Dina "Juice Cup" Fernandez of Patchouge, NY, and Donna "Parmesan Baby" Hyatali of Rocky Point, NY. Harry is also survived by thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He is also survived by hundreds of loyal son-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, lovers, and a spectacular golf ball collection.

Through his fulfilling and joyous life, Harry found many loves. His first love was his adoring mother who would make him hot chocolate and Fluffernutter sandwiches on cold winter mornings. His second love was the Douglaston Golf Course, conveniently located directly behind the Jones' family home in New York. His first job was caddying at Douglaston Golf course. There he made hundreds of personal connections and undyingly loyal friendshipsthat would last all the way through his final days. Harry's third love was for cinema:his mental encyclopedia of classical and modern film was and still is unprecedented. Names like Billy Wilder, Mel Brooks, Orson Welles, and Charles Laughton came up effortlessly in casual conversation, often spinning Harry into a feverishweb of movie references, anecdotes, behind the scenes trivia, and personal film reviews that would take up hours of your time.But you loved every second of it.

In the sixties and seventies, he spent much of his free time in "The Pit", an outdoor hang-out where locals would gather and work out their plans for the evening; telling stories (with Harry surely at the center) and reveling in each other's company. Many nights, Harry and his countless comrades would never even leave The Pit. He sometimes brought along his younger brother, Michael, to the "big boy parties."During the day, Harry was an expert handball player, which they played off of the cement wall at EJ Korvette's. He always considered this group of friends his second family. We started to list them but then we realized this would end up being fifteen pages long. You all know who you are!

He was a Vietnam-era veteran in the Army. He served his country proudly, spending much of his time in Panama. His pride in America lasted until the day he died, and he was always willing to fight for what he believed in.

Harry often worked several jobs, simultaneously, to support his large family--ranging from a meter reader with Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO), to a landscaper, to an independent limousine driver in New York City. His dedication to his family was profound, serving as both father and mentor to several children, to their friends (rumor has it that Harry was quite the bull on the football field with his sons' buddies). His paternal effect was felt wide and far, and this continued well past his children's adulthood.

His abundant gift for telling stories made him the life of every event he attended. He'd be regularly asked to "tell the story about..." while a group of total strangers would observe him, imminently falling in love with his bigger-than-life persona by the end of the story. Harry never told fish tales, as his tales were grand enough to stand on their own. He prided himself in his brushes with fame and always had a story ready to share about his many adventures.  

In 2006, Harry moved from New York to Rhode Island, and so began all his wild shenanigans with his nephew, Shawn. Here, he became the superhero that will forever be known as "Uncle Harry."

"Uncle Harry" was not a person. He was--and is--a state of mind. He is a philosophical guidepost for us all to follow when we get pent up by the day to day tedium. Harry was everybody's uncle, even for people he'd only met for the first time. If you had a heart, if you had a soul, then Harry could connect with you. Even when he couldn't hear you (constantly fidgeting with his perpetually dying hearing aids) he heard you better than anybody else that had ever listened to you. When people met Harry for the first time, you knew that they were about to have an experience, that they would immediately know him as if he'd been there all along. They loved him for the "Uncle Harry" that he was.

Harry was a father to some, a grandfather to many, but an uncle to us all--the cool uncle that let you drink a beer when your mom wasn't looking, who told you the truth about the big bad world, the one who you felt you could trust, and the one who made you laugh so hard that you'd start crying.

Harry will be missed by the hundreds of lives he touched and will continue to touch through the end of our lives.

Calling hours will be held at Cranston-Murphy Funeral Home in North Kingstown, RI on Friday, February 12th from 4pm-7pm. Funeral services will begin at 9am on February 13th at the same location. Internment service will follow at the Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Exeter, RI

Memorial donations may be made to the Disabled American Veterans (D.A.V) charity.

 

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