R. DONALD JONES
May 30, 1936-Feb. 19, 2009
FREMONT -- R. Donald Jones, 72, passed away early Thursday morning at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 6 p.m. in the chapel of Seymour Funeral Home with pastor Bill Garner officiating and with the Rev. Judy Drye assisting. Interment will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. in Stantonsburg Cemetery and friends are invited to the family's home following the service.
Don was born in Wilson County on May 30, 1936, to the late Ralph Jones and Letha Whitley Jones. He began his career as a coach for Harrellsville High School and later served as the school principal. Don has also served as principal for the following schools: Walstonburg School, Red Springs High School, Elm City School, Charles B. Aycock High School, Brogden Middle School and Eastern Wayne High School. In 1972, he served Wayne County as the Superintendent of Schools. In 1995, Don retired from a career in education that spanned for over 37 years.
For those who knew him, Don will be remembered as a generous, caring, compassionate man and loyal friend to so many. The love in Don's life was God, family and friends. He has served as a lay speaker for St. Joseph United Methodist Church and has also served as superintendent of the Sunday school. Don later became a member of Fremont United Methodist Church, where he served as the MYF leader.
Don was a member of the Davie Masonic Lodge in Colerain, and was a Shriner and a member of the York Rite. He was also a member and past Exalted Ruler of the Goldsboro Elks Lodge No. 139 B.P.O.E.
Don is survived by his wife, Liz Jones; his daughter, Lisa Pate and husband, Randy, of Fremont; his sons, Randy Jones and wife, Sharon, of Princeton and Don Jones Jr. and wife, Michele, of Knightdale; his grandchildren, Ryne Pate, Caroline Pate, Brandon Jones, Brittany Jones, Taylor Jones and Lauren Jones; and his sisters, Hazel Murray of Snow Hill and Ruth Jones of Rocky Mount.
Flowers are welcome, or memorials may be made to the Crippled Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 490, New Bern, N.C., 28560.
The family will receive friends Saturday following the service at Seymour Funeral Home and other times at his home, 141 Dogwood Hill Lane, Fremont.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on February 20, 2009 1:47 PM