June Evelyn Jones

June Evelyn (Johnston) Jones of Hanceville, Alabama, died Wednesday evening, January 7, 2026. She was born May 21, 1940, to F. Rozell and Evelyn (Nuss) Johnston, and married Donald Wayne Jones (1938-2015) on June 4, 1960.

June began her professional career in 1960 with the U.S. Army Command and NASA, working under Wernher von Braun during the height of the Cold War. Though this work placed her at the center of a historic era, she found her true calling in education.

In 1966, she accepted a teaching position at Hanceville High School, where Donald had also begun his career as an educator. Reflecting on this historic period of school integration at Hanceville, she praised the work of the Cullman County Schools superintendent and Colony leaders in upholding high standards and peaceful conduct during a time of profound change. Over the next three and a half decades, June devoted herself primarily to public education. She left K-12 from 1967 to 1970 to teach history at St. Bernard College, and returned to teach English at Fairview High School in 1970, where Donald was then principal. In 1977, she moved to the Cullman Child Development Center to develop the gifted education program as Donald transitioned to school system administration. June spent 23 fulfilling years at CDC, serving as the gifted education teacher for Cullman County Schools until her retirement in May 2000.

A gifted student herself, June graduated from Cullman High School two years early in 1957 and was admitted to Birmingham-Southern College. There, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, earned her bachelor’s degree in three years, and received the prestigious English Department Award. She went on to earn a master’s degree, Ed.S., and additional certifications and postgraduate studies at The University of Alabama.

A lifelong student of English, history, literature, politics, current events, and religious writings, June delighted in research, critique, reading, writing, and the exchange of ideas. Her intellectual curiosity and love of learning remained with her throughout her life.

June and her husband Donald adopted two children—Kristen, through Catholic Social Services, and Kevin, through Holt International from Vietnam—and raised their children at St. Paul’s School and Church. They introduced their children early to travel and diverse cultures through a wide network of friends from around the world and meaningful relationships with refugee families, fostering in them a deep appreciation for global perspectives and shared humanity.

Her personal interests reflected her wide-ranging intellect and refined taste. She enjoyed British mysteries and comedies, public radio, The New Yorker, Pogo, and M*A*S*H*. She admired President Harry Truman and considered him the most underrated of presidents. She loved Mediterranean and Shabby Chic design, White Flowers Gallery, and the art of Van Gogh. Her favorite religious readings included such works as The Book of Common Prayer, Luther’s Small Catechism, and the writings of Thomas Merton and Dietrich Bonhoffer. She adored The Little Prince, the poems of E.E. Cummings, and The Great Gatsby, and maintained a thorough knowledge and thoughtful—if complicated—relationship with the works of William Faulkner. She enjoyed classic films such as High Noon and The Greatest Show on Earth as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark, and was a fan of musicals like Fiddler on the Roof, all of which became favorites of her children on rare sick days.

June was a longtime member of Grace Episcopal Church and the Friday Study Club, Cullman’s oldest active book club, founded in 1956. She was also a supporter of animal charities, food banks, and educational and cultural institutions.

An only child, June was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Wayne Jones, and her parents, F. Rozell and Evelyn Johnston. She is survived by her children, Kristen (Paul) Holmes and Kevin (Kim) Jones; her grandchildren, Walker and Kamden Jones; her beloved dog, Beau; a host of extended family members; and generations of students and friends whose lives were enriched by her teaching, curiosity, and unassuming brilliance.

A memorial service in celebration of June’s life will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, located at 305 Arnold Street NE in Cullman. The date for that service will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Grace Episcopal of Cullman or the Humane Society of the United States.