Samuel Wilson Jones III

Sam was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church in Greensburg, Poughkeepsie, Durham, Raleigh, and Myrtle Beach. Throughout his college years at Penn State, he was active in the Wesleyan ministry and often went out to rural churches to help conduct services.

He graduated from Penn State with a degree in Electrical Engineering in May 1963; went with IBM in December 1964; married Charlene on June 22, 1968; started their family; and received his master's degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, NY.

Sam worked for IBM for 28 years in Poughkeepsie, Gaithersburg, and RTP. Several years on an IBM project in Tokyo, Japan in the mid 1980’s began his love for sushi and allowed the family to travel extensively in Asia and Europe, and even ride camels at the Egyptian Pyramids.

He was active in Scouts since boyhood, earning his Eagle Scout Award as a Boy Scout Air Explorer and working with Scouts in troops in NY and the NC Occoneechee Council. Over his lifetime Sam and Charlene were active in the church choir, bell ringers, and Sunday School, rarely missing a Sunday.

In his retirement years he served on the Ocean Creek POA Board, Mobile Meals, and Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach. He helped Charlene with her doll business, Treasures of Youth, as she traveled doing doll shows. He also attended trade shows throughout the year for HAM radio exhibitors with W2IHY.

Sam always stayed close to his family, visiting Greensburg, PA and Jacksonville, FL often, to meet with his sisters, nieces and nephews, sometimes camping together in the summertime. Sam and Charlene also spent a lot of time in Ocean City, MD meeting up with close friends and family. Pastimes he enjoyed with Charlene were playing Bridge with friends, Square Dancers, Newcomers, and encouraging kids' activities such as roller skating, band, concerts, 4-H camps, and flying lessons. As a pilot dad he enjoyed flying to many destinations, his favorite was when he flew to Panama to see the Panama Canal and the locks systems.

Sam is predeceased by his parents, his wife of 52 years Charlene A. Jones, and his brother-in-law David Dickinson.

He is survived by his sisters, Mrs. Sandra Dickinson of Jacksonville, FL and Mrs. Carol Gettemy (Robert) of Greensburg, PA; his children, Laurie Lund (Jon) of Raleigh, NC, Alison Jones of Angier, NC and Samuel W. Jones IV (Sharon) of Atlanta, GA; his grandchildren, Todd and Austin Harris, Emily Lund Smith (Alex), Nathan and Avery Lund, and Meghan and Taylor Jones; his great grandson, Rhett Harris; as well as his nieces and nephews, Carol Dickinson Sesco and John Dickinson, Shawn (Heather) Gettemy and Holly Gettemy Kitchen; and his great nieces and nephews, Donald, Rebecca, Gabrielle, Ethan, Fiona, and Addie.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at 2:00 pm at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 Saint Mary's St. Raleigh, NC.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Helping Hand North Strand of Myrtle Beach, SC, https://northstrandhelpinghand.org/

Arrangements are being made by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, NC.