Lee University board member and friend of the Church of God, Bobby Kenneth “Deacon” Jones, founder of Deacon Jones Automotive Group, passed away on Saturday, January 2, 2010.
Mr. Jones was a current member of the Board of Directors at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee where he served for 23 years, giving not just of his time as a board member, but of his resources to support the Church of God school. A new dining hall, built on the Lee campus in time to house Olympic whitewater athletes for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, is named in his honor. More recently, Jones and his family were honored with the naming of the Jones Lecture Hall in a new School of Religion building which opened at Lee in 2008.
Mr. Jones was a long time member for 48 years of the Princeton Church of God, in Princeton, NC. His father, the late Rev. Clyde Jones served there as pastor for a total of 13 years.
Mr. Jones was born on May 19th, 1940 and was the son of the late Rev. Clyde and Mary Jones. Deacon was raised in a loving Christian home, along with his three sisters and a brother. He graduated from Princeton High School in 1958, where he played on the baseball and championship basketball teams. It was during his high school years that the nickname “Deacon” was born. The high school students, in fun, called him “Deacon” because his father was a minister, and the name has been with him ever since. After high school graduation, he received a sports scholarship to Oak Ridge Military Institute. There he was a starter on the baseball and asketball teams, playing teams in the Junior College division across the state of North Carolina.
In 1970, Mr. Jones began his first business venture, Princeton Auto Sales, a pre-owned car lot in Princeton. In 1978, he opened his first new car dealership on Market Street in Smithfield, offering Buick and Pontiac vehicles. A new facility opened at 1115 N. Bright Leaf Blvd. in 1985. At that time he added the Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge franchises. In the following years, the GMC, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Jeep franchises were added to this location. The Smithfield location is now known as Deacon Jones Auto Park. Over the years, Mr. Jones purchased several other dealerships. In addition to the Auto Park, Mr. Jones was the owner of Deacon Jones Clearance Center in Princeton, Deacon Jones Ford-Lincoln Mercury, Deacon Jones Nissan, and Deacon Jones Kia in Goldsboro, Smithfield Chevrolet in Smithfield and Deacon Jones Preowned Super Stores located in Kinston and Fayetteville.
Mr. Jones served on the Johnston Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees for 5 1/2 years. He was elected to the Johnston County Board of Education in 1980 and served there for 20 years. He was a past member of the Princeton Lions Club where he has served as President. He also served as President of the Princeton PTO and as President of the Princeton Boosters Club. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of First Citizens Bank. Mr. Jones was also a past member of the Board of Directors at Mount Olive College in Mt. Olive, NC.
Deacon Jones and his dealerships have earned many awards over the years, including Buick Best in Class, the Silver Dealer Award, and Platinum Dealer status. Mr. Jones’ awards and recognitions include: The Greater Smithfield Selma Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizens Award, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Hunt, Honorary Citizen of Cleveland, Tennessee where Lee University is located, and the Golden Key Award to the City of Cleveland, Tennessee by the Mayor. In June of 2009, Mr. Jones was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, which recognizes dealer members who have displayed a lifelong commitment to the automobile industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award has been awarded to only 36 dealers, who embody the true spirit of successful entrepreneurs, civic leaders and industry stalwarts.
Mr. Jones was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Faye Woodall Jones. Two sons and daughters-in-law, Bobby Kenneth “Ken” Jones II and wife, Donna, of Princeton; Anthony Dale Jones and wife, Lisa of Princeton; one daughter and son-in-law, Tina Jones Winborne and husband, Steve of Smithfield. His surviving grandchildren are, Christina Jones, Bobby Kenneth “Trey” Jones III, Anthony Dale Jones II, Cole Winborne, Brooke Winborne, Elizabeth Barnes Smith, and Chris Barnes. Mr. Jones is also survived by his brother, Steve Wesley Jones and wife, Paula of Goldsboro; sisters Frances Roberts and husband, Ernest, of Hiddenite; and Grace Pearce and husband, Frank, of Princeton.
Mr. Jones was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. and Mrs. Clyde Jones, and a sister, Lillian J. Hollowell.
A celebration service to celebrate the life and legacy of Mr. Jones will be held on Thursday, January 7th at Johnston Community College Auditorium from 6:00pm until 8:00pm. A prelude concert will begin at 5:30pm, featuring the Voices of Lee from Lee University. The group placed third in the nationally-televised NBC reality show, “The Sing-Off” last month.
The family will receive friends immediately following the service. A private graveside interment will be held.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Deacon Jones Scholarship Fund, PO Box 2280, Smithfield, NC 27577 or c/o of Casey’s Funeral Home, PO Box 237, Princeton, NC 27569. This scholarship fund will benefit Lee University in Cleveland Tennessee, Johnston Community College in Smithfield, NC, and Mount Olive College in Mt. Olive, North Carolina. Any proceeds not designated to a particular institution will be equally dispersed among all three. This will allow the family to continue the legacy of helping others for many years to come. Each family member as well as each institution will receive a list of all contributors. A list will also be available on the Deacon Jones website: www.speakindeacon.com.
The family encourages others to share their memories, photos, or stories of how Mr. Jones touched their lives by sending an email to deacon@deaconjonesautogroup.com, by visiting the Facebook site at http://www.facebook.com/deaconsmemory, mail to Deacon Jones Memory @ PO Box 2280, Smithfield, NC or fax to 919-934-0681. These comments will become a part of their family memories and a keepsake that may be included in future tributes.