July 14, 1930 – December 28, 2021
DEER PARK, TX – Leon Jones of Deer Park, TX passed away on Dec. 28, 2021.
A funeral service was conducted by Pastor Jacob Perry of Trinity United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2022 at Newport Cemetery in Newport, TX.
He was born on July 14, 1930, in Weslaco, Hidalgo Co., Texas. He was the son of George V. and Annis I. (Rose) Jones of Dewey County, OK. He attended school and lived in Dewey County until his enlistment into the U.S. Army on March 21, 1947. He underwent basic training at Ft. Lewis, Washington, and served with the 25th MP and Recon Company, 25th Infantry Division, in Osaka and Shinodayama, Japan, and was discharged Jan. 31, 1950, at Ft. Hood.
Leon and Dorothy Gossett, daughter of Frank and Ida Gossett of Newport and Bowie, TX, were married Dec. 9, 1950 in Borger, Hutchinson County, TX. They had one son, Gary Stephen, who was born Nov. 20, 1951.
Leon moved with his family to Houston, in November, 1953. In 1957, they built their home in Deer Park, where they lived until he moved to Fort Worth in 2012. He met Dorothy while working for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in Borger, TX. He spent 14 years working with Phillips Chemical Company in Borger and Pasadena, TX, before attending the University of Houston. Leon retired from Schlumberger Well Services in 1985 after 20 years of service.
Leon and Dorothy were landowners in Montague County and one of his great joys in life was overseeing the family property as a wildlife management area and hunting lease. Leon was a passionate genealogist and enjoyed traveling across the country in his RV researching he and Dorothy’s family histories.
He authored two books: Our Jones’-Coast to Coast and Somewhere Along The Way, and edited Dorothy’s book Elijah Gossett – Texas Pioneer. Leon improved and maintained the directory for the Newport Cemetery for many years. He loved traditional Japanese music, storytelling, Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream, whittling, and a cool breeze on the screen porch at his cabin.
Leon was proceeded in death by his wife, Dorothy Jones of Deer Park; brothers, Robert E., Raleigh, NC., Alvin M. of Fritch, TX., Paul W. of New Mexico, and sister, Valda Davis of Fritch, TX.
He is survived by his son Gary Stephen and his wife Donna Kaye of Fort Worth; grandson Ryan Daniel and his wife Jennifer C. of San Antonio, TX and their children Ava Elise and William Crew, and grandson Brandon Wayne and his wife Emilee Marie of New Braunfels, TX., and their son Houston Wayne.