Norwood Elton Jones

Norwood was born on July 10, 1930 in Jackson, Tennessee to William Norwood and Bessie Jones. Norwood grew up in Jackson, graduated from Jackson High in 1948. He attended Lambuth and Memphis State University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business of Science degree in Physical Science and Business Administration. Norwood married the love of his life Joyce Ann Taylor, daughter to Virgil and Gerldine Taylor, sister to Lawrence Taylor. They would have been married 70 years this August. Early in their marriage, Norwood and Joyce lived in Memphis, Tennessee, where both of their children, Randy and Leigh Ann, were born. In Memphis, Norwood worked for 13 years with his brother, Jasper Jones, in the moving and storage business. In 1965, Norwood and Joyce received a call from his devoted friend, Reggie Smith, asking them to join he and Brooks Shaw in opening the Old Country Store, a turn of the century general store. Norwood started out as storekeeper on the Airways Boulevard location, and later as co-owner and President of Brooks Shaw and Son’s Old Country Store, until his retirement in 2002. He then became more active in his real estate business that he had established in 1967, The Old Country Store Land office. He once served as the Vice President of Jackson Board of Realtors. Norwood was a true servant of his Jackson community. He was a member of his beloved church Forest Heights United Methodist Church for 55 years, where he served as chairman of the Board of Trustees for 8 years. He was member, president, and vice president of the Jackson Optimist Club, served as Chairman of the Southwest Tennessee Tourist Association, Board Member of Jackson and Tennessee Hotel – Motel Association, and advisory board of the National Federation of Independent Business. He was honored as Tennessee Restaurateur of the Year. He was a proud member of the Jackson Chamber Red Coats, supporter of RIFA, Dream Center and American Heart Association. and in 2018 was honored with the Jefferson Award as Community Champion Business Advocate.

Some fun yet proud times of Norwood was the Jackson Sesquicentennial Rocking Chair Marathon, Southwest Senior Olympics and Tennessee Senior Olympics where he and his brother- in- law, Lawrence Taylor, won a silver medal in doubles table tennis in the State Olympics of 2010. He has a proud collection of neckties with autographs from notable celebrities including Presidents Bush, Clinton, Carter, Ford, and Reagan, as well as, Mikhail Gorbachev and Arnold Palmer. Recovering from hip replacement surgery, Norwood wrote a song named “Hoe Some Mo” which was sung and recorded for Norwood, by a friend in Nashville. He has collected bricks for several decades from his many travels. In 2017, he used these bricks to construct a 14 foot cross on Highway 412 near Bells Highway. He had practice of calling 3 people every day, which were old friends or people he had not seen in a while.

Norwood’s prize was his family. He loved them well and they all knew it. He loved family gatherings, family trips, family stories, family jokes, family games always accompanied with watermelon or popcorn. It was Norwood’s love for the Lord that inspired his life’s walk. The creed for his life comes from the Bible, “Love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.”

He is preceded in death by his father and mother and his 10 brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife, Joyce Ann Jones and their two children and spouses, Randy and Vivian Jones, Ron and Leigh Ann Taylor, 4 grandsons and I granddaughter, Douglas Jones, Russell and Carrie Jones, Corbin and Hannah Taylor, Will Taylor, and Jenni Belle Taylor, and three great grandsons, Logan, Caleb, and Easton Jones. He is survived by his brother and sister- in - law and their children and grandchildren, Lawrence and Norma Taylor, Mark and Jill Taylor and Eliza and Jude and Eliza, and many devoted nieces and nephews.

A family service will be held for Norwood at Forest Heights United Methodist Church in Jackson, Tennessee, on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. A graveside service will be open to family and friends at Brown’s Church Cemetery on Brown’s Church Road, on that same day, December 22, at 3:00 in the afternoon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cross in memory of Norwood (The Brick Cross 501C, 257 Henderson Rd, Jackson, Tennessee 38305)