William (Bill) Cox Jones of Richmond, Va., a summer resident of Edgartown for more than 70 years, died peacefully on Oct. 12, 2018, in Richmond with his wife of 63 years near his side. He was 90.

Bill was born in Orange, N.J., on Oct. 28, 1927, to Col. and Mrs. Catesby ap Catesby Jones. He was a graduate of St. Paul’s School and Yale University, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was president of the Jones Financial Group, and prior to that a leading agent for The Life Insurance Company of Virginia.

During his summers on the Vineyard, Bill could be found picnicking, clamming and playing tennis with his extended family, who affectionately knew him as Uncle Willy. He loved sailing his Woodpussy, the Bobcat, competing in weekly races in the outer harbor where, due to his competitive nature, he was eventually left without any family members willing to crew for him.

He was a dog lover and exceedingly proud of the three blue ribbons he won at the Agricultural Fair with his Newfoundland Katama (never bothered by the fact that there were rarely any other entries for the breed).

He was known for his business acumen; in a 1982 story the Richmond Times-Dispatch dubbed him “Mr. Main Street.” On the Vineyard, he was an aspiring master gardener with a passion for planting that sometimes espoused new heights — literally. During the summer of his famed maize experiment (aka the summer of Miracle-Grow), his six-foot-two-inch stature was dwarfed by a titanic corn crop, which was tall on stalk but scant on corn.

He was an honorary member of the Edgartown Golf Club and a member of the Martha’s Vineyard Rotary Club. He was an avid reader, who usually could be found toting a book in hand. In later years, he was fond of lunching at the Edgartown Reading Room, where he also enjoyed playing bridge and backgammon.

A gracious man with a big heart, he had the ability to make all around him feel welcome and comfortable. A southern gentleman but a New Englander at heart, his love of Martha’s Vineyard and St. Paul’s School always pulled him due north.

He was predeceased by his brother Catesby Brooke Jones, and grandson Seth Vieara Jones. He is survived by his wife, Lee; children, Robert Brooke Jones, Thomas Catesby Jones, Elizabeth Cox Jones, Laura Jones Ghivizzani and William Stewart Jones; 10 grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and his beloved golden retriever, Molly, who was always by his side.

Donations can be sent to the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard, P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539; or to the Edgartown Library, 26 West Tisbury Road, Edgartown, MA 02539.