Mark Ellis Jones

COL. (Ret) Mark E. Jones, 91, died peacefully in his home on Saturday, January 7, 2017. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria Weil Jones; his parents, Marcus Ellis Jones and Linda Thompson Jones; his brother, William Jones of Miami, Florida; and his sister, Sallie Kilcullen of Alexandria, Virginia. He is survived by his brother, Lawrence Jones of San Antonio, Texas; son, Kevin Jones and his wife, Georgia; daughters, Kelley Jones, Marlene Jones and Cindy Horstman; grandchildren, Jeff Cortez, Krystal and Anthony Jones, Hannah and Dameon Horstman, and great granddaughter, Gloria Cortez.

Born October 2, 1925, in Haverhill, Massachusetts to Marcus Jones, a Cavalry Officer and Linda Jones, the daughter of a Cavalry Officer, he grew up with the Army traveling the world. In 1937, after departing the Philippines, his family moved to the American Legation in Peking, China to wait for transport back to the United States. His family lived next door to the Japanese Legation and witnessed the outbreak of the Marco Polo Bridge incident. Ordered to evacuate, the family took a train to the port which passed through gunfire and explosions due to the fighting between Japanese and Chinese forces.

After graduation from high school, Mark enlisted in the Army and trained in Camp Blanding, Florida and Fort Benning, Georgia. After the War, he took preparatory courses for West Point at Sullies, Lafayette College, and Amhurst College. He entered the United States Military Academy in 1946. In 1948 he met the love of his life, Gloria Weil of Port Huron, Michigan. Mark graduated in 1950 and departed for the Officer Basic Infantry Course in Ft. Benning, Georgia. He and Gloria married in Del Ray Beach, Florida in February of 1951.

Shortly after, Mark was deployed to the War in Korea where he served in the 25th Infantry Division, 27th “Wolfhound” Regiment. He took Command of King Company during intense combat at the Battle of Sandbag Castle on the Pusan Perimeter. After serving in Korea, Mark returned to Fort Benning, Georgia to complete the Advanced Officer Infantry Course and completed Airborne and Ranger training. Future assignments included ROTC instructor at the University of Connecticut, the Army Language Institute, multiple assignments at the Pentagon, and the Army General Staff School in Montevideo, Uruguay. He earned a Master’s Degree in Latin American Studies at the University of Oklahoma and then moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to serve in the military attaché office in the US Embassy. He deployed to Vietnam and served as a military advisor to the Republic of Korea’s Tiger Division. His last duty assignment was with the Inter-American Defense College at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. Mark retired from the Army in 1974 and worked for the BDM Corporation. He and Gloria moved to Williamsburg, Virginia in 1991. He was a member of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, participated in a Civil War Round Table Group and played a lot of golf with the Williamsburg Veterans Group. Gloria preceded Mark in death in 2014.

Friends and family will be received on Thursday evening, the 16th of February, 2017 at the Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Road in Williamsburg, Virginia from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The funeral and interment will be held the following day, Friday, the 17th of February, 2017 at St. Bede’s Church, 3686 Ironbound Road, in Williamsburg, Virginia at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Little Sisters of the Poor at 1503 Michaels Road, Richmond, Virginia 23229.

Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.nelsencares.com.