Frederick Theodore Jones

Frederick Theodore Jones transitioned peacefully on Tuesday morning October 1, 2024, at his home in Kennesaw, Georgia with his beloved family by his side. He was a loving father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and friend who touched the lives of everyone he knew. Affectionally known as Freddie Jones, he was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa on October 28, 1925 to the union of Mr. Emeric Edwin Jones and Mrs. Theodora Hamelberg Jones.

He attended the St. Edward’s Primary and Secondary schools in Freetown from 1934 to 1942 and successfully passed the University of London (England) Matriculation Examination. Throughout his adolescence he excelled in both academics and athletics, even becoming Captain of the soccer and cricket teams. After graduation in 1943, he served 5 years as a Customs Officer for the Sierra Leone Civil Service.

On June 10,1948, Freddie travelled to Monrovia, Liberia, for a six-week vacation. However, during that short time, he fell in love with Rose Tisdell and made the pivotal decision to leave relatives and friends in Sierra Leone to create a new life in Liberia with the woman he loved. In 1950, he became an official Liberian citizen and married Miss Rose Tisdell on January 17, 1951.

In 1950, Freddie joined the First Infantry Regiment of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and in 1951 was commissioned Second and First Lieutenant. He was later commissioned to full Colonel, Divisional Inspector General and rose to the rank of Brigadier General.

From 1949 to 1955, Freddie worked as a clerk for The Liberia Company and handled the Delta Line Shipping Agency. Later, he worked in the private fishery industry travelling to the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Senegal from 1955 to 1957. He then joined the Liberian Construction Corporation (LCC) in 1957 and worked there until 1968. In 1964, he was decorated by the late President William V. S. Tubman to the rank of Commander of the Order of the Star of Africa for his outstanding services during the construction of the new Executive Mansion.

He resigned from the LCC in 1968 due to lack of construction contracts and accepted an offer from The Liberian Company as the Agent of Delta Lines, Inc, New Orleans, USA. Deciding to further his studies, Freddie obtained an Associate Degree in Accounting from the University of Liberia. He received numerous commendations and decorations from the Liberian Government.

With the inauguration of the Ancient and Noble Order of the Knights of St John in Monrovia in 1954, Freddie became a founding member holding several positions as Secretary, Treasurer, and President. In 1963, he was awarded the decoration of Bene Merenti by Pope Paul VI for his outstanding services to the Knights and the Catholic Church in Liberia.

He was ordained a permanent deacon of the Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia on May 10, 1982. After retirement in 1983, he was appointed Secretary General of the National Catholic Secretariat, and National Coordinator for the National Catholic Development Office in Monrovia, Liberia.

Freddie and Rose fled Liberia in November 1990 due to the civil war and settled in Schaumburg, IL with his son for one year. He later moved to Marietta, GA and settled with his daughters. He worked for the Cobb County government in Marietta, GA and retired in March 2001 to care for his wife Rosie, who had suffered a stroke. After his wife passed in August 2008, he spent his very active and remaining years in the loving care of his daughter Marlene Jones and became a U.S. Citizen on January 13, 2010.

Freddie was a Sir Knight in the Knights of Columbus - Holy Family Council 09792 in Marietta, GA. He was a valiant Christian warrior whose faith was paramount in his life and the lives of those he loved. He firmly believed that a good sound education was essential to helping every child especially members of his family to be independent and succeed in life. Nothing pleased him more than attending and celebrating the high school and college graduations of his children and grandchildren. He also enjoyed celebrating birthdays and other special family events. He and Rosie made sure to instill the values of the love of God, their catholic faith, the love of family and friends, charitable giving, and education in their children. In March 2021, his children and grandchildren established the Frederick Theodore Jones Education Foundation in his honor to financially assist students in Liberia. Since its inception, the foundation has paid full school tuitions and fees every year for several children in Liberia. Freddie will be remembered as a man of faith and compassion, was dearly loved and will be deeply missed.

He had eleven siblings, seven of whom have predeceased him. He is also predeceased by his parents, his wife Rose E. Jones and his son Martin D. Jones. He leaves to mourn his loving children: his son Crispin Jones (Sonji), his daughters Marlene Jones, Catherine Jones Williams, Cecelia Jones Wilson (Bruce) and his adopted daughter Churchima Caroline Harris and their families; his grandchildren Aurelia Diop (Amadou), Celisse Lambert (Richard), Joshua Carter, Racquel Williams, Chelnisia Stephens (Rachel), Gardenia Wilson, Ian Jones, Kadejah Williams (Melissa), Bree Jones, Faith Wollor, Jessie Phillips, and Ryan Wisner; his great grandchildren Raine Bass, Kader Diop, Abdullah Zack, Richard Lambert III, Fatimah Zack, Emeric Lambert, and Mariyam Zack; his siblings Rita Marie Miller, Arthur Bernard-Jones, Leonor Freire Quintino, and Carlos Freire; his only surviving aunt, Alice Hamelburg Williams, who is joyfully looking to celebrate her 107 years next year; many nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends in the United States, the United Kingdom, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Portugal, Qatar, and the Netherlands.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Frederick Theodore Jones Education Foundation - an IRS 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. Donations can be made online at (https://www.fredtjonesfoundation.org) or through Zelle at the following Zelle email: [email protected]

Virtual Viewing Options are as follows.

For the Viewing/Wake on the evening of Friday Oct. 25th, it's:

https://vimeo.com/event/4662119

For the Funeral Mass on Saturday morning Oct. 26th, it's:

https://youtube.com/live/z6o5Nfu93bs?feature=share