Stephen "Steve" Lee Jones

Stephen Lee Jones, known to most as Steve or "Dux," answered his final call when GOD called him to Heaven on Friday, March 6, 2026, at his home in Tipton County, Tennessee. He was born on August 1, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, to the late Donald Jones, Sr. and the late Gloria Manns Jones.

Steve was one of those people who could walk into a room and have everyone laughing within five minutes. He had a gift for storytelling, the kind where you weren't sure if every detail was true but you didn't care because the ride was too good. He was generous to a fault, always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it, and he lived a life that most people would read about and think somebody made it up.

After graduating from White Station High School, Steve attended Shelby State College and Memphis State University on a baseball scholarship, where his arm quickly got people's attention. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Organization as a pitcher, earning a reputation for his blazing fastballs and devastating sliders as a closing pitcher.

His professional career took him all across the United States, Canada, and Central America before he finished his time on the diamond with the Florida Marlins. Not many people can say they lived out a childhood dream at the highest level, but Steve did exactly that.

When he returned to Memphis in the late 1990s, Steve traded in his glove for a badge, joining the Memphis Police Department where he served with distinction for 20 years. He worked at the Tillman Precinct before finding a new passion in the Mounted Patrol Unit, where he spent the last six years of his career. That small unit became a second family, and Steve forged deep bonds with Brett Williams (retired), Melissa Haley (retired), and Robert Hence. His love of horses, especially his mounts Cash and Poco, made the Mounted Patrol a perfect fit for him. He ultimately retired due to a career-ending injury sustained in the line of duty, carrying that sacrifice with the quiet dignity that defined him.

Of all Steve's passions, duck hunting was the one closest to his heart. Known as "Dux" or "Duxkiller," he spent more than 30 years chasing ducks and sunrises across Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta Flyway. During the months of November, December, and January, you could find him in a duck blind with his beloved dog General, his faithful companion of 17 years, alongside his best friends Bruce, Lance, and Jesse Sheppard, Greg Haun, and Michael Fugitt, surrounded by the outstanding hunting dogs from Sheppards Kennels. His duck calling ability was legendary, and those cold mornings on the water were where Steve was most at peace. In 2011, Steve won over an Arkansas country girl and stole her from a long career of EMS as a ground and flight paramedic to bring her and her dogs across the Mighty Mississippi to Tennessee where she was credited with saving Steve's life on multiple occasions over the last 15 years. When Steve wasn't hunting, he & Shelly could be found fishing, working on their trucks, or spending time with their dogs.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Donald Jones, Sr. and Gloria Manns Jones, and his brother, Donald "Donnie" Jones, Jr. He is survived by his wife, Shelly Jones; his brother, Mike Jones and wife Dee; his nephews, Chris Jones, Kyle Meadors, and Corey Meadors, his niece, Angie James and husband John Wesley; two great-nieces, Lexie James, Makayla James, one great-nephew Jake James, and a wide circle of friends who were more like family.

Steve was a Christian and of the Baptist faith which carried him through every chapter of his life, and we take comfort knowing he has gone home to be with the Lord, with a renewed and healed body, reunited with his parents whom he missed dearly.

In keeping with his wishes, Steve will be cremated, and his cremains will be spread across the Mississippi Delta Flyway, the place where he spent over 30 years doing what he loved most, chasing ducks in those Heaven sent sunrises.

Honorary pallbearers are Brett Williams, Robert Hence, Melissa Haley, Tracy Wright, Melanie Medlock, Bruce Sheppard, Lance Sheppard, Jesse Sheppard, Greg Haun, and Dewayne Lufcy.

Special honors to Dr. William Hickerson and Dr. Michael McDonald for going above and beyond to care for Steve in the utmost professional and personal way possible over the years. We are forever indebted with thankfulness and love for you.

Steve lived big, laughed loud, and loved deeply. The duck blinds will be a little quieter now, but the stories he left behind will keep us laughing for years to come.