Clyde Jones

William Clyde Jones, 85, passed away peacefully Saturday, February 20, 2016 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Booneville after an extended illness. He was born October 4, 1930, to William Hilton and Annie Lee Bennett Jones. On December 25, 1951, he married the love of his life, Helen Murphy Jones. They were married for 64 years. He graduated from Marietta High School in 1950 where he was a member of the state champion basketball team. He graduated from Northeast Mississippi Community College in 1952 and Delta State College in 1954 where he received a B.S. Degree. He was a standout on the Northeast basketball team from 1950-52 before moving onto Delta State University where he continued his basketball career. During Jones’ time at Northeast, he led the Tiger basketball team a runner-up finish in the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan. Jones also helped the Tigers capture the state tournament title as well as the Region VII tournament title in Shreveport, La., enroute to the national tournament appearance. During the 1951 season, the Tiger basketball team turned in a 50-9-1 record. Then he entered the US Army in 1954-1956 where he was a Korean War Veteran, and he loved playing on the Army basketball team. After the service he coached and was a referee. He then entered into sales where he excelled to vice-president of quality control at Delta-Pine Land Seed Company in Scott, MS in which he loved traveling the world with his position, and he was the recipient of the Knights of the Round Table award for a million dollars in one year in sales and President of the Mississippi Seedmen’s Association. After retiring from Delta-Pine Land Seed Company in 1995 he was a consultant for the company. In 2009 he was inducted into the NEMCC Sports Hall of Fame. He loved to fish, camp, play cards and spending time with his family and friends. He was a member of Zion Rest Church of Christ and also for several years in Booneville and Greenville, MS where he served as elder.

A Celebration of Life will be at 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, February 23. 2016, at McMillan Funeral Home with Minister Tony Brown and Minister Doug Greenway officiating. Burial will be in Zion Rest Cemetery.

He is survived by his wife, Helen Murphy Jones; one daughter, Sandra (Shaun) Tittle; one son, Mike (Sonya) Jones; two sisters, Nell Pharr and Frances (Bill) Hodges; two brothers, Raymond (Bobbie) Jones and Larry (Kay) Jones; and four grandchildren, Chelsea Tittle, Chandler Tittle, Michael Jones and Jon Jones.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Martha Sue Jones and Virginia DeVaughn; and one brother, Danny Jones.

Pallbearers are Steve Jones, Teddy DeVaughn, Benny DeVaughn, Sam DeVaughn, Craig Pharr, Ronnie Ward and Josh Jones.