James Ewing Jones

James Ewing Jones was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

      James was born on July 5, 1928 at home in Wilson County, TN. His parents were Annie and Les Jones. James was raised in Nashville,TN. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Jones household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, James was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared. James was raised with six siblings. He had three older brothers, William, Frankie, John (Junior), and one younger brother, Walter. He also had one older sister, Lessie Mae and one younger sister Barbara. James was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. James and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but James was always consistently loyal to his family.

      As a young child, James was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. James developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. James started to work at a very young age to help support his family as he grew up in the depression. James' memorable achievements included being a good student in school. However, what James enjoyed most was spending time with his many friends.

      While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of James as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He went to Issac Litton High School but left school his junior year because he had to work to support his family. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite classes in high school were math and history. James was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. After high school James joined the Air Force. There he was trained in office management skills. He was stationed on the island of Guam where he contracted Tuberculosis. James was hospitalized in Denver, Colorado for two years, but recovered from the disease. Upon being released from the hospital he entered college.

      College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but James handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, James was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. James was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served James well during his college experience. He earned his degree in Accounting. When he graduated with his degree, he was asked by the head of the department to take a position at the college teaching accounting. He chose to seek employment as an accountant in the manufacturing field, and ultimately, as Treasurer of an investment firm in Louisville, KY.

      Always considered to be a solid friend, James was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, James was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for James to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. Later in life, he became friends with Bobby Locke and the Locke family.

      On August 20, 1960 James exchanged wedding vows with Robbie Lou Salmon at the Community of Christ Church in Nashville, TN. Compassionate and devoted to Robbie, James held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Robbie and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

      James brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. James was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. James was blessed with two children, one son, James Lester, and one daughter, Nancy Emalyon. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, Ryan, Dustin, Rachel, and two great-grandchildren, Haley and Lilah.

      James greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. James enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, James was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was Accounting and Postal work. He was employed at Kerrigan Iron Works, Glaspar Boat Company and Clayton Brokerage Company. He worked at the US Post Office where he retired. James worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      James was an Air Force veteran in the Korean War. He was in the Air Force stationed on the island of Guam. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Staff Sargeant. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, James seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

      James found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list was UT

      As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in. James was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. He made himself available, at a very low cost, to file income tax returns for those who needed help. He did this for several years. Politically, James was a strong supporter of the Republican party.

      James was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of Community of Christ church for 40+ years. During that time, he was Treasurer of the congregation. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

      James was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of James’s favorites was Rip and Tip, Collie dogs. They were best friends for Over 25 years combined.

      When James’s retirement finally arrived in 1990, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, he found new pleasure in traveling for the first few years. Even in retirement, James continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

      James Ewing Jones passed away on February 7, 2015 at home in Goodlettsville, TN. He contacted TB when he was in the AirForce stationed on Guam. His lungs were compromised throughout his life as he had COPD. He is survived by his wife Robbie, son James, daughter Nancy, grandchildren Ryan, Dustin, Rachel and grandchildren Haley and Lilah. Services were held at Forest Lawn funeral home. James was laid to rest in Forest Lawn funeral home in Goodlettsville, TN.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of James Ewing Jones. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.