Illinois Wesleyan University athletics remembered Jason Jones, a 1991 alumnus and former athlete, on April 7 as part of a reflection marking the anniversary of his death in a plane crash in 2015. Jones was one of seven individuals who lost their lives in the accident, including Scott Bittner, Andy Butler, Tom Hileman, Aaron Leetch, Terry Stralow, and Torrey Ward.
Jones was known for his contributions to Illinois Wesleyan’s baseball and basketball teams. As co-captain with David Kunka during the 1990-91 season, he helped lead the basketball team to a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championship with a 15-1 record. He is tied for twelfth all-time for most games played at Illinois Wesleyan (110) and ranks twenty-eighth in career assists (211). In baseball, he finished his collegiate career as a .340 hitter over 109 games and posted strong statistics during his senior year.
After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University and earning a master’s degree from Illinois State University, Jones became Senior Vice President and Certified Financial Planner at Wells Fargo Advisors. Beyond athletics and professional achievements, he was remembered for “treating every person with kindness and respect while building meaningful lifelong friendships with a wide variety of individuals.” The university said that “with his quick wit, boundless energy and warm smile, he brought joy to countless people.”
Jones’ legacy continues through two traditions within Titan Athletics: the annual sharing of the “Penny Story” at the All Student-Athlete Meeting each August—where student-athletes receive pennies to pass along as tokens of good fortune—and the presentation of the Jason Jones True Titan Award at April’s Victory with Honor Senior Banquet to recognize character among student-athletes.
The impact of those lost in the accident is also marked by “Redbird Remembrance,” a memorial near Redbird Arena’s north entrance established by Illinois State Athletics Department. The memorial features seven columns representing each individual lost; their names are inscribed on its back wall.
Family members created Project 7 after the tragedy to encourage others to perform seven random acts of kindness every April 7. More information about this initiative can be found on its Facebook page or through Remembrance.GoRedbirds.com.
The Illinois Wesleyan Titans Men’s Basketball team has won NCAA Division III national championships in both 1997 and 2001 according to its official website. The team plays home games on campus in Bloomington as part of intercollegiate athletics according to its official website. They compete under green-and-white colors using their Titans nickname within the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin according to its official website.
