Former Seafood Shack owner Ham Jones dies at 81

Former Seafood Shack owner Hamlin “Ham” Jones died Feb. 14. He was 81.

Born in Gulfport, Miss., Jones moved to Longboat Key in 1973. He was the founder and owner of the Seafood Shack in Cortez for more than 40 years. He sold the restaurant and its surrounding marina properties for $4 million in October to Canadian developer Vandyk Group of Cos.

Jones was a veteran of the U.S. Army who served during the Korean War in Germany. He attended the University of Florida on a GI Bill and went on to become a computer programmer for IBM who worked with NASA and was responsible for the computer program that launched the first man on the moon.

Jones was preceded in death by his son, Hamlin Jr. He is survived by his wife, Lorraine, of Longboat Key; daughters Kimberly Trombley, of St. Petersburg, Adele Jones, of Atlanta, and Nancy Pronko, of San Diego; sister, Julia Matter, of West Palm Beach; three grandchildren; and former wife Barbara Jones, of Atlanta.

A cryptside service with military honors will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Royal Palm Memorial Gardens, 5601 Greenwood Ave., West Palm Beach.

A celebration of life will take place from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, at Lazy Lobster of Longboat, 5350 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Condolences can be expressed at brownandsonsfuneral.com.

For more information, pick up a Feb. 26 copy of the Longboat Observer.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].