AddThis SmartLayers

Sub-editor who also served as football club’s vice-chairman died aged 61

Mark Jones North WalesA sub-editor who also ran his own sporting memorabilia shop and served as a football club’s vice-chairman has died aged 61.

Tributes have been paid to Mark Jones, who worked on titles including the Rhyl Journal, North Wales Pioneer and North Wales Chronicle during his career.

Mark, who worked for NWN Media until 2018, also owned The Beautiful Game – a football memorabilia shop on Prestatyn High Street.

In addition to that, he served as vice-chairman at Prestatyn Town FC, where he wrote programmes, was matchday announcer and designed the club’s first website.

Mark died on 8 December after suffering recently from sepsis. His funeral was held on Wednesday.

Newsquest print audience and content editor Terry Canty, a former colleague, told the Pioneer: “Mark will be remembered for his huge contribution to the North Wales newspaper industry.

“I will remember him for his intelligence, attention to detail, warmth, honesty, generosity of spirit and guidance, which I will always be grateful for and will always value.”

Dean Jones, who also worked with him, added: “Mark was a lovely bloke, a football aficionado. There wasn’t much he didn’t know about the local football scene, and was passionate about Prestatyn Town, helping them significantly during their rise to prominence.”

“Mark always called things straight down the line and was right to the point, which I always appreciated.

“He was a significant help during my transition into journalism and would always enjoy our chats whenever I saw him in town.”

Mark is survived by his wife Yvette Byrne Jones, stepson, Michael, and their Jack Russell Terrier Lili.

Mrs Jones told the Pioneer: “He was the kindest, most loving person you could meet. He just wanted to make Michael and I so happy. He lived his life for us.

“He was such a gentle, genuine, caring person and well-respected and loved by everyone who we came across. We went out for a couple of years, and then his work took him to London, so we split up.

“It was purely by chance that we got back together again, and we were together for 20 years and married for 18. It was a true love story, really.”