Roland Gene Jones

Roland Gene Jones, born March 22, 1951, passed away on September 23, 2025, and went home to his Lord. He was greeted upon his arrival by his beloved grandmother, Oralee, and his Uncle Calvin. He was also welcomed into heaven by his dear brother-in-law, Buddy Arena, and his mother-in-law, Nelwyn Arena, who he loved like a mother. He was also preceded in death by his mother, father, and brother William.

Roland is survived by the love of his life for over 54 years, Mary Beth Jones, and by his son, Charles Roland (Casey) Jones, and his daughter, Heather Beaver, and her husband, Bobby, and their three children, Ben, Caroline, and Lily Kate. He is also survived by his brothers-in-law, Scott Arena, Vincent Wayne Arena, and Jeffery Arena, his sister-in-law, Lynda Janac, and her husband, Jeff, his nephew Joey Campbell and his wife Ashlee, his niece Buddi Kristina McKenzie and her husband Sean, numerous great-nieces and nephews, whom he loved as if they were his own grandchildren, and by many aunts, cousins, and friends.

Roland worked for Ohmstede for over 35 years as a welder and inspector, making numerous friends along the way. His career did not define him, though. Roland was an avid outdoorsman and was happiest in nature. He loved his deer lease and his friends with whom he shared it. A crack shot, Roland traded in his rifle and bow for a trail camera about twenty years ago, finding peace and comfort in the woodland animals he had once hunted. He also loved to have a fishing pole in his hand and was planning fishing trips even while in the hospital. If he wasn’t in the woods, he was in his garage tinkering with his 1983 K-5 Blazer, which he had painstakingly converted into a single-cab pickup truck. When he was in the garage, his schnauzer, Nellie, was always by his side. One of his favorite daily rituals was taking Nellie on walks around the neighborhood.

What Roland may have loved the most, though, were his three grandchildren. He loved playing catch with Ben. Always shaking his hand after a catch, like he had been on the receiving end of a 90-mph fastball. Roland loved his granddaughters and had no willpower to say no to them. A manly man, he even let his granddaughters, Caroline and Lily Kate, paint his fingernails. He also loved teaching his grandchildren about gardening. He loved doting on the three as they followed him around the garden beds in his backyard, picking okra, tomatoes, and all sorts of vegetables.

Before Roland was a grandfather, he was a father. Heather and Casey loved their dad. A favorite memory from their younger days was when he taught them about healthy lunches. On a day trip to the beach, with the three sitting across the bench seat of his truck, Heather declared, “I’m hungry!” Roland, being the great father he was, pulled into a convenience store to get sandwiches, but came out with ice cream. Casey was worried it would ruin his appetite, but he was reassured by his dad, “It’s okay. It’s a sandwich, an ice cream sandwich.”

In their youthful naiveté, Roland and Mary Beth were married on September 25, 1971, at the ages of 19 and 20. They began to build a life on a foundation of love, exemplifying the good within each of them, and would continue to build on that foundation for the next 54 years. Those two children grew into parents who raised their own children, who always knew they were loved. Those values instilled in their children are now being passed down to their grandchildren, ensuring that Roland will live on long after he has gone.

Roland, Dad, PawPaw, Uncle Roland, Uncky Rodand, you will be missed by many and loved forever. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Indian Springs Camp Ground, located north of Kountze. This is an organization that exemplifies values Roland would have loved, taking disabled veterans hunting.