Clarence G Jones, jr. (Buck) passed peacefully on August 15, 2016 in his home after a 14 month long battle with cancer. He was born in Richmond, Virginia on June 18, 1935 to Clarence and Lucille Jones - who instilled in him the strong values he kept all of his life and passed along to those of us lucky enough to have known him. Buck grew up the youngest of four children with three beautiful (and tough) sisters - Dotte Adams, Kitty Maddox, and Lillian Johnson - who loved and protected him, fiercely! Buck began the biggest adventure of his life on July 19, 1958 when he wed Laura Frances Few. This adventure ran strong, always strong, for over 58 years.
Buck and Laura have two sons, Kyle (Ellen) and Tim (Amy) and five grandchildren - Allison, Ryan, Caroline, Savannah, and Katherine. Buck excelled at multiple roles throughout his life - husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, teacher, coach, athlete, and friend. These were not separate roles for Buck. Whether you called him Dad, Papa, Mr. Jones, Coach Jones, or Buck - he was all of these all of the time. His values were constant and so was he.
As an athlete, Buck cast a long shadow. Co-Captain of the Virginia State Champion High School Basketball team, full scholarship to Virginia Tech - and then he took up his sport for life - golf. He won numerous club championships in Virginia and Florida, and shot his age or better hundreds of times, including 2 holes in one after the age of seventy, and recording a (no gimme) 64 at age 71.
Do not be sad - he would not want a single tear shed. His body is gone, but his spirit is not. The best parts of Buck - world class parts - live on in those of us honored enough to have known him.
A celebration of the life of Buck Jones will be held at Westminster by the Sea Presbyterian Church in Port Orange, Florida at 3:00 pm on Friday August 19. In lieu of flowers, Buck requested that donations be directed to Westminster by the Sea.