Donald Collins Jones Obituary
Some knew him as “Dr. Don” and others just called him “Coach”, but if you were lucky enough to have met him, you were most likely uplifted by his presence. Don passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
Donald C Jones, son of Jimmy and Catherine Jones, was born in 1938 and raised in Bremen, Georgia. He played football and baseball on scholarship at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC and remained a lifelong fan of his Wofford Terriers. Don is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patsy Farmer Jones, his sons Kyle (Anne) of Belleair, FL and Bradley (Ibby) of Hendersonville, NC and his two granddaughters, whom he adored, Anne and Catherine Jones. His younger brothers Mark (Sheila) and Mel reside in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA.
“Coach” had an extensive and diverse professional career over his lifetime that included: serving as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Artillery, Field Branch at Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he served as the director of sports; a high school teacher and football coach in Virginia and South Carolina; Assistant Professor, Assistant Athletic Director, and Head Coach for basketball, track and field and cross county at Berry College in Rome, GA; Director of Camp Kanuga in Hendersonville, NC; Sales Estimator for Hendersonville Paving Company; and a Corporate Motivational Speaker traveling across the U.S. Don was always grateful for the many opportunities he had to shape people’s lives, especially young people.
Don earned his Master’s and Doctor of Education degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He served as a graduate assistant coach for the Volunteers men’s track and field and cross country teams. He realized early on the importance of education and believed in paying it forward to assist others in the same way he had been helped by so many individuals that he never forgot. Throughout his lifetime Dr. Don dedicated his life to helping others achieve their best, whether it was through coaching athletes to winning seasons, helping campers go beyond their comfort zone, inspiring sales teams through his corporate speaking engagements, or raising funds for educational scholarships, Don encouraged others by sharing himself through his strong character and memorable stories.
Don had a strong faith and was a teacher and loyal member of the Roy Johnson men’s Sunday school class at First United Methodist Church for 40 years. He served on the Board of Visitors for Kanuga Conferences. Don was a board member at the Hendersonville Country Club, an active member and past President of the Hendersonville Kiwanis Club and provided service to the Henderson County Education Foundation for 14 years. During his 10 years as President and Executive Director of HCEF, Dr. Don led the community to help grow the number of college scholarships from 4 to 63.
A “Celebration of Life” service will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at the First United Methodist Church, Hendersonville, NC., with a reception in the Barber Christian Life Center following the service. A private interment will be held at St. Francis Outdoor Chapel, Kanuga Conferences.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Don Jones Scholarship at HCEF, P.O. Box 1267, Hendersonville, NC 28793, or the Camp Kanuga Scholarship Fund, 130 Kanuga Chapel Drive, Hendersonville, NC 28739. Jackson Funeral Service is assisting the family.