Hal Lafayette Jones, Jr., Ponte Vedra Beach, age 90, passed away September 7, 2018. He was born in Jacksonville, FL, May 12, 1928. He grew up in Palatka, FL, attended Palatka schools and graduated from Tennessee Military Institute in 1946. At the University of Tennessee, he was a member of Lamba Chi Fraternity and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1951.
He worked for Convair Aircraft Company in Fort Worth, Texas where he met and married Joanne Loss of Flint, Michigan in 1953. They had two children, Hal L. Jones, III (Tinker) and Elaine Elizabeth Jones.
In 1953 he joined the US Army and was sent to Kaiserslautern, West Germany with the Army of Occupation until 1955.
He then worked for Reynolds, Smith and Hill’s Consulting Engineers in Jacksonville and J.E. Sirrine Company, Greenville, SC before he went to Wood-Hopkins Contracting Company in Jacksonville in 1962. He became President in 1971. He served as President of the Association of General Contractors, Jacksonville, FL in 1973.
After leaving Wood-Hopkins in 1997, he established Hal Jones Contractor, Inc. and retired in 2008 at the age of 80.
In 1991 he married Betty Bruce Murphy of Palatka, FL and Atlanta, GA. They resided in Ponte Vedra Beach for 22 years.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Annetta Arendale Jones, his father, Hal L. Jones, Sr., his stepmother, Olive Jones, his first wife Joanne Jones, his daughter Elaine Jones Carter and his second wife, Betty Bruce Jones.
He is survived by his son Hal L. Jones, III (Mary) of Jacksonville, step children James E. Murphy (Susan) of Davidson, NC, Frank Bruce Murphy (Joni) and Jane Murphy Strobel (Scott) of Atlanta, GA. His grandchildren Jason and Lindsay Jones, Kally Carter, Katherine Murphy White (Chris), Caroline Murphy Patterson (Tee), Bruce and Brooke Murphy, Mathew James Murphy (Erica) and Laura Jane Bryan. Great grandchildren Harper White, Jameson White, Dash White, Charlotte Murphy and Isabelle Murphy. His sisters, Janet Jones Bender, Catherine Jones Rollo, Sarajane Jones Brock and Hally Jones Krogh (Dan).
Hal Jones was an astute businessman and a leader in the construction industry of Jacksonville for nearly fifty years. He is remembered with great respect and affection by his former employees, business contacts, friends and family. His leadership and business dealings were based on honesty, fairness and loyalty and he refused to waver from those principles.
Services will be held at Christ Episcopal Church, Ponte Vedra Beach on September 14, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. Funeral arrangements entrusted to HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1701 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, FL.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Christ Episcopal Church, 400 San Juan Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 or Community Hospice of St. Augustine, 525 State Road 16, Suite 112, St. Augustine, FL 32084.
