J.B. was born December 1, 1933, the youngest of 10 children born to Lela Hamm Jones and Burton Enloe Jones on the family farm in McNairy County, Tenn. Always fascinated by animals, he grew up raising and showing livestock. One of his favorite teenage memories was a weeklong solo trip to the Mid-South Fair 90 miles from home to show his cows.
Married nearly 68 years, J.B. met Joy Stephens at a college social in a church basement while studying agriculture at the University of Tennessee-Martin. They were married during their Christmas break from school on December 26, 1954.
In 1963 J.B. realized his lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian when he graduated from veterinary school at the University of Illinois. Over the next 30 years he explored his many interests in biology and veterinary medicine. In the mid-1960s, he owned a veterinary practice in Dyersburg, Tenn., and later conducted research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee Hospital and Research Center, both in East Tennessee. J.B. was recruited in 1976 to be part of the first faculty for the new College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee, which led to more than a decade teaching the next generation of veterinarians. He also continued his research as part of a team of scientists studying space-flight anemia using rats that orbited Earth aboard a space shuttle life sciences mission in 1991. J.B. retired that year from the University of Georgia as the assistant vice president for research.
In retirement, J.B. and Joy served two years in the Peace Corps on the South Pacific Cook Islands. J.B. was the island veterinarian while Joy taught at the teachers’ college. They returned home in 1995 just before the birth of their sixth grandchild and immersed themselves in family life. Living near their sons and later their daughter provided J.B. and Joy the tremendous gift of fully participating in the lives of their eight grandchildren, which J.B. greatly enjoyed. There were vegetable gardens, watermelon patches, fruit trees, and animals in abundance at their homes in Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
J.B. is survived by Joy, his beloved wife. Their children and spouses are Nick and Cindy Jones, and Emily and R.J. Claassen. His grandchildren, their spouses, and 10 great grandchildren are Caitlin and J. Russell Martin (Henry Koch, Samantha, and a new great-grandson due in December), Michael Hall (MaKinleigh), Mark and Ashley Jones (Oliver and Alaric), Evan and Liz Jones (Jack), Laramie and Quinton Williams (Wyatt, Lena and Declan), and Caroline Claassen, Rob Claassen and Ellen Claassen. J.B. also is survived by one sister, Jean Hall, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Samuel Andrew Jones, his parents, four brothers, and four sisters.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions are requested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org/donate, Ascend Hospice at 606 Rollingbrook, #2G, Baytown, Texas, 77521, which provided exceptional care to J.B. and his family, or the charity of your choice.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.navarrefuneralhome.com for the Jones family.
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