Thomas Vernon "TV"

Thomas Vernon “TV” Jones, 76, died Saturday, September 29, 2018 after a long and hard fight with Pancreatic Cancer. Though he may be gone and his fight over, the battle has been won. His strong, hard working spirit and overwhelming love for his family propelled him through his stage four diagnosis and on to a three year display of pure grit, will, and toughness that shocked his medical team at every turn. He is now at home and perfectly glorified with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Born on September 17, 1942 to Vernon and Annette (Beaugez) Jones, he was a lifelong resident of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The second oldest of his eleven brothers and sisters, he is preceded in death by his father, mother, and brother Scott, while the remainder of his siblings - brothers Wayne, Vernon “Bunky”, Joey, and Chris (Tracy) Jones, along with sisters Diane Bellon, Glenda Dyess, Kitty (Arnie) Ward, Laurie Jones, and Janice Delay - still live in different areas of the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast that he loved to traverse in his “little ole” black GMC. A 1961 graduate of Ocean Springs High School, he was a member of the Football Team, and as he would famously love to reminisce to friends and family, the first and only State Championship Basketball Team in program history. His unwavering pride for his school did not end with the reception of his diploma, as he was able to watch his children and grandchildren also grow to share his same passion for the Blue and Grey, self proclaiming himself as “a Greyhound ‘til the end.” Fifty-five years of marriage to the love of his life, Glenda (Burr) Jones, followed, setting the standard for what a man of faith and family should look like. A member of St Alphonsus Catholic Church, he was a man of high spirits, positivity, and a devout servant of our Lord. He took extreme pride in his family, and he and Glenda raised their two boys, Thomas “Darrin” (Lisa) and Bryan “Bubba” (Dorian), to be kind, hard-working, and family oriented just like their pops. He was a family man to the core, and if there was anything that warmed his heart as much as his wife and boys, it was his grandchildren. Hunter, Garrett, Drew, and Dara Hanna were his world. True to his overwhelmingly supportive nature, he was a frequenter of the Tato-Nut donut shop where he would pick up the Saturday Morning breakfast for a day with the grandkids, and a fixture at every school and ball field from Alice Street to Greyhound Stadium for every bit of the last twenty years. Affectionately known to them as their “Gangie”, he loved his family with an indescribable passion. His wife, children, and grandchildren will miss him dearly as they keep his lessons and examples close to their hearts. Second only in devotion to his family was his work ethic. An employee at Ingalls Shipbuilding for forty-two years he retired as an Electrical Supervisor in 2004, but the love of a hard day’s work didn’t stop with his shipyard tenure, transforming into a passion for his yard, garden, and flowers. Visitors to Gangie’s house could always count on finding him in his classic yard work attire (hand-cut cloth headband, white tank top, cut-off jean shorts, black tennis shoes with white crew socks) sprawled in a flower bed in search of weeds to pull, painting carefully his next flower pot or garden statue, or riding gleefully on his beloved John Deere. Possessing a true servants-heart, in his prime he was always doing things for others, happily volunteering to cut the entire families grass or their azalea bushes, taking his time simply so he could visit longer and help more often. Though our hearts may be troubled, asking why and feeling pain for the loss of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, we need to remember that our Lord, who he is with in this very moment, tells us, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13.7). Where he is, the fight is over, the pain is gone, and the struggles he faced in this world are no more. So let’s all take pride in his life and the example he gave us. Let’s remember the good times we had with him on this earth. And when we feel sadness and pain, let’s also remember what Paul says: “For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1.23). He has departed, and he is there, and it is far better. We love you Gangie......Hunter. Visitation will be on Tuesday, October 2, from 6pm until 8pm, at the Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home. On Wednesday, October 3, there will be a 2pm church service, at First Baptist Church in Ocean Springs, where friends may visit one hour prior. Burial will follow in Belle Fountain Baptist Church Cemetery.