Jon Vieux

Jon Lawrence Vieux passed away on March 24 at the age of 80 years in Endwell, New York. Jon was a social, kind and lovely gentleman of faith who was born and raised on the great American prairie on June 11, 1939 in Atwood, Kansas. He was the eldest of four sons of Marjorie (school librarian) and Lloyd Vieux (attorney). Jon lost his father in 1961, his mother in 1994 and his brothers, Charles in 1959 and Steven in 1996. Jon’s brother Roger is retired and currently resides in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Jon leaves behind nieces and nephews, the nine children of Roger and two children of Steven.

Jon graduated high school in 1958 at Ponca Military Academy in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Over the next several years he lived, worked and attended residential vocational schools in Atwood and other parts of Kansas and Missouri. While in Atwood Jon delivered newspapers and performed lawn care services. Jon was invited by friends to join them in enrolling at Berean Bible College in Dallas, Texas where he studied Bible and interned in janitorial services. Following graduation from Berean, Jon worked on a ranch outside of St. Louis, Missouri until 1977. Some friends from Berean invited Jon to move to the hill country in Kingsland, Texas where they were founding the Calvary Hill Gospel Church and Academy. Jon worked there as an assistant janitor and volunteered in the classroom when asked to witness about his faith to the school children. In January 1991 while walking, Jon was struck by a truck and required surgery for his injuries. Jon’s church friends stated that it was time for Jon to move home. He moved in with his brother Steven and wife Judy, nephew Jeremy and niece Vanessa. Jon enjoyed family life, family vacations and his fellowship there at Calvary Baptist Tabernacle in Vestal, New York.

Following recovery from his 1991 accident, Jon began sheltered employment with ARC, now Achieve in July 1991. In September 1996 Jon’s brother Steven passed away. This was a tragic loss for Jon and the family. Jeremy was studying at the University of Michigan and Vanessa was still in high school. During the fall of 1998 as Vanessa was moving away from home to study at Barnard College, Judy and Jon also made changes. Jon moved to an Achieve community residence in Binghamton, New York while Judy moved to an apartment a block away allowing the family to maintain close ties with Jon. As Jon aged he moved in 2015 to a ranch home in the Achieve residence program in Endwell, New York where he would no longer need to climb stairs to his bedroom. He continued to work at the sheltered workshop until his decision to retire in June 2018. At that time Jon joined a Day Habilitation Program for socialization and recreation, enjoying his retirement years spending time with his family, many friends at Achieve programs, at Day Hab and in his religious community. Jon occupied his leisure hours at home reading devotional books and his Bible and watching The Waltons, old Westerns and other Hallmark Channel television shows.

Jon was a colorful person who loved to laugh, to tell elephant jokes, eat hamburgers & fries, fried chicken and strawberry ice cream. He loved to go out to see Disney movies. To his delight he was once crowned King of the Achieve sponsored Valentine’s Day Dance. He enjoyed the company of a few girlfriends during those years and he loved to dance. He was a serious student of the Bible and in better days he was a compendium of Bible facts and verses who rarely failed to answer correctly when Steve quizzed him. And who could ever forget Jon’s phrase for a serious problem. He would say it was a “shock domain,” which so succinctly captured such moments in our lives. We will miss the lively Jon the children grew up with and the more quiet man who was a companion on life’s journey for so many years.

Due to the restrictions imposed on all of us by the Coronavirus pandemic, a memorial service will be held at a later date at Calvary Baptist Tabernacle in Vestal, New York. A private graveside service is planed in Atwood KS where Jon’s childhood friend, Pastor Kent Morgan will preside. Jon will be laid to rest along side his parents and brother Charles. Jon’s family thank the Achieve community residence program that provided years of care and kindness to Jon and, Dr. Jagraj Rai, and the Lourdes Hospice staff who provided comfort to Jon in his final days.