Thomas Allen Jones

Thomas Allen (Tom) Jones, age 92, of San Antonio, Texas, passed away on May 5, 2023. He was born August 9, 1930, in San Antonio, Texas, the third child of Samuel and Elsie Jones. He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Henrietta Virginia Hogshead Jones; second wife, JoAnn Foote Jones; brothers Edwin, and Romie; and sisters Cleo and Shirley. Survivors include his son Robert Allen Jones and his wife, Cindy; nephew Randy Shelley, who they raised from the age of 10; grandsons Brian Jeffrey Jones and his wife, Heather, and Kevin Daniel Jones and his wife, Nisha; five great-grandchildren Calleigh Abigail Jones, Brendan Thomas Jones, Sarah Jeanette Jones, Niam Henry Jones and Kiran Evelyn Jones; brothers Jerry and David; and numerous nieces and nephews. Survivors also include JoAnn’s children Sheryl Sultenfuss, Kimi Foote, and Darrel Foote, her granddaughters, Brooke Foote and Mollie Sultenfuss, and her great-granddaughter, Maya Sultenfuss.

Tom spent most of his working life driving a truck, probably beginning before he was old enough to have a driver’s license. He often drove between San Antonio and Illinois with his brother, Edwin, where he met and eventually married Henrietta on January 7, 1950. They were married almost 50 years when cancer took her in 1999. He was drafted into the Army in 1952 and spent most of his two-year stint in Korea where he, again, was predominately a driver for his unit. When he returned from Korea, he not only returned to his wife, Henrietta, but also their son, Robert, who they were in the process of adopting.

Tom had always been active in the church. He and Henrietta were founding members of Marbach Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He served in many rolls there including Sunday School teacher, Deacon, Elder, and Chairman of the Board. Family was very important to him, and he would do anything for them. After he retired from truck driving, and they moved back to San Antonio to be near family, he became the primary caregiver for many family members, including his mother, who eventually moved in with Henrietta and him. However, 1999 was a very rough year for him when most of the people he was helping to care for died, including his mother and wife who both passed away in the same month.

After Henrietta died, Robert and Cindy encouraged him to take square dance lessons. There he met JoAnn, who had lost her husband several years earlier. When JoAnn was asked to be Tom’s partner as he learned how to square dance, she told that person that she was not interested in finding another husband. That person told her, “You don’t have to marry him, just be his dance partner.” They were married a couple of years later, on January 18, 2001, and enjoyed many years of dancing together. At times there were three generations at square dances – Tom and JoAnn, Robert and Cindy, and Brian and Heather.

Tom and JoAnn took many trips together. JoAnn liked to travel abroad, which Tom had not done, but she got him to go to London and on several cruises including one through the Panama Canal. Tom’s idea of travel was to load up the car and take off. Together they visited several national parks. The goal of one of his trips was to find the head-waters of the Missouri River. When JoAnn became ill, he was right beside her, taking care of her. When she passed, they had been married for 18 years.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Brooks of Cibolo where Tom lived for the past two years, and where he met many friends. We also want to thank Rich and Freedom Hospice who helped us understand what was happening during Tom’s last days and who kept him comfortable during this time so that he could pass on to God’s loving arms peacefully. As a friend told the family, the day a person dies can be considered their “graduation” day. Tom has finally “graduated”; he ran the race and has won the prize.

A visitation will be held at Colonial Funeral Home, 625 Kitty Hawk Road, Universal City, TX 78148 on Monday, May 15, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 16, at 10:00 a.m. at Schertz United Methodist Church, 3460 Roy Richard Dr., Schertz, TX 78154, with interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 1701 Austin Highway, San Antonio, TX 78218.

In lieu of flowers, those who desire may make memorial contribution to the Salvation Army or to the charity of their choice.