Jones, Dr. Rhys B.

Dr. Rhys B. Jones, 65, devoted husband and father and lifetime dental professional passed away Sunday, April 22, 2012, from complications of multiple myeloma. A time to remember and celebrate Rhy's Life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 27, at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City. The family will greet friends from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the St. Luke Health Care Foundation, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402.

Rhys was born De. 12, 1946, in Williamsburg, Iowa, the son of Burton and Ramona (Simmons) Jones. He graduated from Williamsburg High School in 1965 and The University of Iowa in 1970. He completed studies for his Doctor of Dental Science (D.D.S.) in 1973 at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, followed by a Master of Science (M.S.) specialty degree in Dental Public Health in 1981.

Rhys was the long term director of St. Luke's Hospital Dental Health Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an award-winning program that provides dental care to low income children and disabled adults. He was director from 1976 to 1984 and then again from 1990 until his death. In the 1980s, Rhys was the director of the Dental Programs for Wisconsin, when he did much of his work in the education of dentists on AIDS-HIV, tobacco control intervention, fluoride use and access to dentistry for poor and disabled populations.

In 1990, Rhys was appointed adjunct professor in both Pediatric Dentistry and Public Health Dentistry at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Over the years many senior dental students, pediatric dental residents and graduate students worked with Dr. Jones as part of the extramural rotations at the St. Luke's Dental Health Center. Rhys also taught “Introduction to Dental Public Health” at the college.

Rhys was a long term member of the American Dental Association, the Iowa Dental Association, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, the American Public Health Association and the Linn County Dental Society. He received many professional honors including a World Health Organization Travel Fellowship to New Zealand and Australia, election by the College of Dentistry Faculty to the national honorary dental society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the State of Wisconsin Employee Exceptional Performance Award, the U.S. Public Health Service Exemplary Performance Award, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry Special Merit Award and the Association of State Dental Directors Distinguished Service Award.

In 1995, Dr. Jones was elected president of his national specialty group, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. He also served on the national board of directors of Oral Health Association and the state Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation board. He was active nationally a member of the National Smoke and Tobacco Free Steering Committee and consulted for The National Cancer Institute. He presented a number of continuing education programs across the country and authored over 40 papers and publications including the cover story for The Journal of the American Dental Association in August 2000, “Tobacco and Oral Health, Past Progress, Impending Challenge.”

Dr. Jones was an accomplished golfer and played for several years on the University of Iowa golf team. In the 1980s he became a long distance runner and completed 20 marathons in 10 years of running with a fastest time of 2:43 running marathons in Chicago, Iowa City, Twin Cities, Duluth, Houston, St. Louis, Quad Cities, Boston and Paris, France. He and his wife enjoyed traveling and made many trips to Europe and Asia.

Dr. Jones is survived by his wife of 24 years, Valerie Chittick of Iowa City; and two children, truly the loves of their lives, Isabel Chittick Jones and Owen Rhys Jones, twins, age 10 and fifth-graders at Lincoln Elementary School; a sister and brother-in-law, Bronlyn Jones and Robert Bauer of Little Compton, R.I.; mother and father-in-law, Leta and Max Churchill of Muscatine; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Sondra and Woody Clark of McMinnville, Ore., Alan and Cindy Chittick of Waunakee, Wis., Lisa Sherry and Ron Royals of High Point, N.C., and Heather and Doug Haley of DeWitt; and 12 nieces and nephews.

Rhys' parents preceded him in death.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at .

Published in The Gazette April 25, 2012.