Jerry Orline Jones

Jerry Orline Jones, 78, was born January 17, 1947, in Demopolis, Alabama to Ruth and John William Jones. He graduated from Francis Marion High School in 1965 before attending Auburn University, where he graduated with a bachelor's & master's degree in electrical engineering. He then pursued a master's in divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and served as a Baptist minister for six years upon his graduation.

Jerry served in the United States Army, deploying to Vietnam, where he specialized in radio communications. He later joined the Army Reserves, serving as a chaplain initially at Fort Bliss and then eventually as an officer in the 187th Medical Battalion. He was called back to active duty during Desert Storm and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Jerry spent most of his career working for General Dynamics, which later became Lockheed Martin. During his time there, he used his expertise in electrical and software engineering to work on the heads-up display for the F-16, and several software engineering projects for the F-22 and F-35. He retired in 2011 after spending 31 years with the company.

Family was incredibly important to Jerry. In 1967, he married Carolyn Charba (Crew), who gave birth to their son David in 1971. David and wife Susan made him “Paw Paw” to six grandkids and four beautiful great grandchildren.

Jerry remarried in 1993 to Tammie Jones (Morrison) and became stepfather to her children Alan and Lauren. He had an additional two grandchildren from Alan and his wife Halley.

Jerry’s children and grandchildren fondly remember him for his generosity and selflessness. He was very involved with the church, serving as a pastor and Sunday school teacher for many years. When not with his family, he could be found volunteering in the church and in the community - helping with missions, running the sound system, teaching ESL, or participating in service projects like building homes for those in need.

He is also remembered as someone who loved a good hobby and staying busy. He enjoyed writing stories and often dreamed of business ventures with his family. Jerry was an avid reader and could easily read three books in a week.

Jerry is survived by sister Alayne Smith and husband L.C., Lawrenceville, Georgia; son David Jones and wife Susan, North Richland Hills; stepson Alan Farmer and wife Halley, Austin; stepdaughter Lauren Furbacher, Weatherford; granddaughter Kaitlyn Novak and husband Michael, North Richland Hills; grandson Jacob Jones and wife Angela, El Paso; grandson Joshua Jones, Hurst; granddaughter Lauren Jones, North Richland Hills; grandson Drake Jones, North Richland Hills; grandson Leland Jones, North Richland Hills; grandson Cade Farmer, Austin; and granddaughter Emilia Farmer, Austin. He is also survived by great grandchildren Addison, Hudson, Emerson, and Lawson Novak of North Richland Hills.

Jerry is preceded in death by parents Ruth Lee and John William Jones Jr. and brother William Jones.

The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Jerry’s memory to one of the following causes he deeply cared about:

* Heiburger Methodist Church Cemetery Fund
The church where Jerry attended as a child with his mother and where his parents are buried—a place he often supported through donations.
To contribute, contact Steve Crawford at (334) 683-8529 or send donations to 3443 Jericho Road, Marion, AL 36756.

* Samaritan’s Purse (samaritanspurse.org)
A Christian organization providing aid to those in need around the world, including disaster relief and support for veterans.

* Charity: water (charitywater.org)
A nonprofit bringing clean and safe drinking water to communities in developing countries.