Except for the few years he spent teaching math to high school students on military bases around the world, Jack remained a dedicated and ever-present member of his beloved Kokomo community. While abroad, he saw the world’s wonders—glistening cities like Paris and ancient wonders like the pyramids and the Holy Land. Yet Jack viewed his birthplace as paradise—because of the people who inhabited it, his people.
Jack carried this innate wisdom with him into the classroom for over thirty years. Countless students were touched by his ability to make the complex simple. While his capacity as a teacher was unmatched, Jack’s students remember most his humor, care, and kindness.
These qualities came naturally to Jack, but he honed them in the cow pasture. His patience and dedication are reflected in how, even while in college at PRCC and USM, Jack would hitchhike back and forth to Kokomo to care for his cows. He ingeniously tended his land and livestock by finding ways to make his resources stretch as far as possible yet never skimping on what really mattered.
And what mattered even more to Jack than the places he’d been, the students he taught, or even the cows he raised, was his church. He served as treasurer of the church now known as Kokomo Chapel for over forty years. He spoke of his love for his church until he lost the ability to speak.
Jack blessed many people in his life in unforgettable ways, but most of all those lucky enough to be his family.
Jack is preceded in death by his parents, Thad and Irma Toney, and by his siblings, Peggy June (Forbes Thornhill), Hobson Toney, Mary Jane (Upton), and Billie Sue Toney.
Jack is survived by his wife of fifty-eight years, Martha (Nell Bullock); his daughter, Belinda Teston (Gary); two grandchildren, Alesha Teston and Allen Regan (Kendall); two great-grandchildren, Avery and Patrick Regan; and one brother, Charles (Terri). Jack is also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins, each of whom held a special place in his heart.
A visitation will be held at Kokomo Chapel in Kokomo, MS, on December 13, 2025, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm followed by a funeral service at 3:00 pm. Reverend Darrin Powell will officiate and burial will follow at Kokomo Community Cemetery assisted by Dan Upton, David Toney, Bobby Thornhill, Dale Teston, John Boyles, and Rob Thornhill serving as pallbearers.
