Jimmy Ray Jones

Jones

Services for Jimmy Ray Jones, 70, of Daingerfield, formerly of Belton, will be held at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, March 30, 2013 at the Dossman Funeral Home in Belton with the Rev. Sam Calloway officiating. 

The family will receive friends for visitation Friday evening from 6 to 8 at the Dossman Funeral Home. 

Mr. Jones died March 23, in a Tyler hospital, surrounded by his family.  

Mr. Jones was born in Belton, Aug. 28, 1942, the son of Oma Lee Bell and Perrie Vernon Jones. He graduated from Killeen High School after which he attended Sam Houston State Teachers College on scholarship. He earned a bachelor of music degree in string bass performance. He also earned a master of science as well as master of music degrees from East Texas State University. Mr. Jones has received numerous professional awards including Outstanding Educator in America.

Mr. Jones began his teaching career at Lamar Junior High School in Temple. During his 40-year teaching career he instilled the love of music to countless students and developed outstanding orchestra programs. The Texas Music Educators Association chose his orchestra from Richardson High School for Texas High School Honor Orchestra. His orchestra at Mesquite High School earned several awards at music festivals and contests. He had a passion for teaching Music History. He enjoyed all kinds of music from blues to bluegrass to classical.  In his retirement, he hosted an Internet Gospel Radio Show. 

He loved history and spent countless hours studying genealogy. Mr. Jones was an active member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of the Confederate Veterans and Sons of the Republic of Texas.  He was also a former six-terms president of the Daingerfield Texas Lions Club. He was especially proud of his great-great grandfather, Elijah Stapp, who was an original signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Those he leaves to cherish his memory are Thalia, his loving wife of 49 years; daughter Jennifer and her husband, Jeremy Malikowski; son, Jason Jones and wife, Candice; grandson, Preston Jones; sister, Virginia Jones-Shope; sister-in-law, Carman and husband, Marvin Mackey; along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.