Al Edgar Jones

Al (Doc) Edgar Jones passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at the age of 81. Al was born on August 21, 1940, in Scuffletown, Georgia. After graduating from Mount Berry School for Boys, Mount Berry, Georgia, in 1959, he continued his education at the University of Georgia where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1963. In 1967, he received his Doctor of Medicine from The Medical College of Georgia. That same year, Doctor Al received his commission as a First Lieutenant in the Medical Corps of the United States Air Force and was stationed at Travis Air Force Base (AFB), California. He completed his 2-year internship and graduated from the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, adding the title of Flight Surgeon and serving as Medical Officer for SR71 pilots. In 1978, after extensive study and a 4-year residency at Lackland AFB, Texas, Doctor Jones received his Specialty in Urology. He served as Chief of Urology at Keesler AFB, MS, from 1974-1984 and at Maxwell AFB, AL, from 1984-1987. In 1979, he was appointed Military Consultant to the Surgeon General for Urology. Upon his retirement from the United States Air Force in 1987, Doctor Jones was appointed Chief of Urology at Biloxi VA Medical Center, where he served until 2014, retiring after 26 years. Doctor Jones was a dedicated member of First Baptist Church, Biloxi, MS, since 1978. During his lifetime, Al enjoyed various hobbies including horseback riding, farming, gardening, hunting, fishing, boating, reading, and woodworking/carpentry. His children often said, “Daddy holds a scalpel in one hand and a hammer in the other.” He was preceded in death by his parents Marcus Edgar and Alix Burkhalter Jones; his siblings Jeofry (Emma) Jones; Gerard (Deese) Jones; Grace (Ben) Eubanks; Barry (Elizabeth) Jones; and Bonnie Evans (Ted) Edwards. Al’s survivors include his loving wife of 61 years, Karen (Kim) Kimmel Jones; his children Marcus (Pamela) Jones, Victoria Jones, and Bradford Jones; three grandsons, Joshua, Cameron, and Logan; sister-in-law, Becky (Jonathan) Jones; and several cousins, nephews, and nieces. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Doctor Al’s name to the American Cancer Society of Mississippi: https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/mississippi.html. American Cancer Society - (MS) PO Box 4449, Brandon, MS 39047. The family of Doctor Jones wishes to express a special thank you to the Hospice of Light and to Seth Jones and the loving caregivers of Your Choice Senior Care. Family and friends are invited to a graveside service to be held on Thursday, October 21, 2021, at 2:30 p.m., at the Biloxi National Cemetery. Please be prepared to wear a mask if mandated by the VA. Memories of Our Daddy DADDY… Where do I begin to express my love and thoughts to the man that help mold me into the person I am today with help from his wife of 61 years, my mom. In my remembrance there are too many special memories to elaborate on so, I will jot down key words and phrases I remember from life lessons to times I had with daddy just having fun, enjoying life and each other’s company. GOD: Daddy was a firm believer in God and Jesus. He taught me it is okay to ask God questions, for it is He who gave you your brain to think and wonder. BOOG: Daddy called me “boog” when I was very young for I would peek out from behind stuff while playing hide-n-go-seek. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE AND PICTURE BOOKS: Daddy started as a young boy reading National Geographic Magazines and he passed that interest onto me along with the joy of reading books with more pictures than words. IF YOU BORROW SOMETHING: Daddy taught me to always return something you borrow back to the person in better condition than when you picked it up. FISHING: Daddy and I spent many a day and night fishing. BE ON TIME: Daddy’s watch was always ten minutes fast. He would tell me “I do this so I am not late to where I need to be because other people’s time is just as important as yours and you do not need to keep them waiting”. UROLOGIST: Daddy who was one of nine siblings and the son of a share cropper was adopted at the age of nine into a family from Alma, Georgia. At the time of adoption Daddy could not read or write and his adopted mom affectionately known as Mama Jones taught him to read by memorizing poems. When daddy was adopted Mama Jones’s health was not the best and by the age of eleven daddy told his adopted mama, “One day I will be a doctor so I can cure you.” Daddy became a urologist, flight surgeon for the SR-71 pilots and a colonel in the United States Air Force. AIR FORCE AND BILOXI VA: Daddy served in the Air Force for twenty years and upon his retirement continued his passion for helping people at the Biloxi VA Medical Center for another twenty-six years. WORK ETHIC: Daddy taught me, my sister and my brother loyal, dedicated work ethics. Work comes first then play. NEVER RAISED HIS VOICE: Daddy never raised his voice to me, my sister, my brother or our mom. ALWAYS THERE: Daddy was always there for his family. WORK SHOP AND YARD: Daddy and I would spend many hours in his workshop creating, designing, building, solving the world’s problems or just hanging out. I believe the workshop and yard is where daddy left the world behind to think and to create many wonderful items for their home, and where he spent time in God’s creation. Mom and Dad’s home is heaven on earth. His heart, soul, sweat, blood, and tears are in their home and I see him as I sit in the shop and walk in the yard. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, DADDY JONES: Daddy was a wonderful inspiration to Joshua, Pam and me. From the day Pam and I adopted Joshua, Daddy Jones and Grandma have loved him unconditionally and have been a big part of his life helping to mold Joshua into the young man he is today. I believe Daddy Jones had a special place in his heart for Joshua due to their shared common thread of adoption. Daddy, my humble mentor, supporter, teacher, corrector, rock, and one who is wiser than any other I know. I will miss you very much! However, I rest in the fact that I will see you again. Have fun visiting with family and friends that have gone before you, and I know you will have all those questions answered by the Author of creation. See ya later for as you know I NEVER say good-by. Love, Your Son Marcus (AKA The Old One) The Man Without a Name…… The first day I met this giant man I was young and extremely intimidated by what I was told to call him: “Doctor Jones”. He did not look like a doctor, nor did he sound like a doctor. He was covered in sawdust with dirty hands and smelled of outside. He was quiet, extremely humble, and wise beyond words. So, I went on along with life, never addressing him with any name. One afternoon sitting out on the deck, he asked in his sweet voice “Girl, are you ever going to give me a name?” I replied, “Yes,” and just smiled at him, and he shook his head. Seventeen years later on March 15, 2004, our lives changed in a way that no one expected. An innocent little boy came along that would not only change us forever, but he would also give this giant a name. From the moment this little guy was given to our family he and his grandfather became the best of buddies. This giant man became the biggest mentor a young man could ever have and for that we are so grateful. He always had time for all of us, no matter what. This man with no name is our “Daddy Jones”! Our hearts are broken, but in the wise words of our Joshua, “Daddy Jones lived a beautiful, blessed life, and we were just blessed to be a part of it. We know where he is, and he is waiting for us!” We will love and miss you forever, Daddy Jones, rest peacefully until we see you again. I’ll love you forever……Pam MY DADDY…… His daughter Victoria, known to him as Vic, was and always will be known as "My Girl". I first remember his pet name for me, "My Girl" when I flew the nest in 2006, from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, to England, moving with the federal government to pursue a longtime dream of living overseas, to travel the "world" and to experience the splendors of God and man. To this day, the most challenging decision of my life. But I remember my daddy as my lifelong rock, my encourager, the one who believed in my abilities. It was ok to spread my wings and fly solo, even when I did not believe in myself to do so. Because of this encouragement, we along with my endearing mom, spent many amazing weeks on their five different trips overseas to visit me. Together we traveled Europe and Okinawa exploring the magnificent vistas of cathedrals, castles, mountains, hills, cliffs, oceans, events, and the peoples of our world. Even to the day my daddy entered into eternity, many of these and other memories of The Life and Adventures with Daddy have been relived many times over with him and with others. Early on the morning of his home-going, God sent one last message of encouragement to me from My Daddy . . . my life verse. . . “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I know without a shadow of a doubt that My Daddy will always be walking with me on each adventure I experience all the days of my life. Now on his final journey home through the gates of heaven, he is on an unending adventure, walking the streets of gold, seeing the promises of God unfolding before his eyes… these glories untold more numerous and splendid than man could ever design or achieve here on earth. TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Great things he has done! See you when I join you on that great journey home one day. There are so many other memories but this is my most memorable and meaningful to this day for me. LOVE ALWAYS AND FOREVER!! "YOUR GIRL"! My Inspiration… In addition to all the countless hours and time he spent with me and the love he gave me, the biggest remembrances I have of him were his patience, his frugality, his work ethic, and humbleness. It always amazed me how extremely patient and meticulous he was. In fact, I have never met anyone with more patience than him. No matter what he was doing or building it would take him twice as long as anyone else. Not because he didn’t know what he was doing, but because he always strived for perfection in everything he did. He once told me, “Always measure twice, and cut once,” basically telling me to slow down and make sure of your decisions. I tend to be a bit too hasty at times, and I always think back to the memory of his patience to force myself to take a deep breath and step back. Everyone knew him as Doc, but no one knew him as a doctor. You would never have guessed his success by the way he dressed, what he drove, or the “toys” he had. Money never meant a lot to him. He just wanted to make sure that his family was taken care of, and more importantly that he had time to spend with his family. I remember after he retired from the military, he was trying to decide between going to go into private practice or continuing with the government. If he chose private practice, he would basically make more than twice what he made in the military, but his family time would suffer. So, he counseled with his brother about this decision, and I will never forget what he told my dad. His brother said, “Would you rather own a 60-foot yacht and never get to use it, or would you rather have a 20-foot fishing boat and be able to take it out with the family every weekend?” He, of course, chose the smaller boat and finished his medical career at the Biloxi VA Medical Center, spending every afternoon and every weekend with family. I owe all of my work ethic to my dad. He was never a lazy person, and he was always trying to solve problems. No matter what it was, if there was something causing an issue, or not working right, or not working the way he wanted, then he would find a way to resolve it and make it work like he wanted. If he was up, he was always doing something productive. Granted we had a lot of fun together, but work always came first, so that all the stress of the work would be gone and we could enjoy the fun times that much more. Finally, his humbleness, which ties back to his frugalness. He was never boastful, and he did not have an arrogant bone in his body. He never ever tried to impress anyone, and he also couldn’t have cared less what people thought of him. I never once remember meeting another doctor outside of his clinic along with any other professionals. All his friends were plumbers, carpenters, electricians, farmers, fishermen, and other laymen. He grew up with family and friends that were salt of the earth, and he wanted to make sure that all the people he associated with were of the same mindset. He was also always happy to hear about other people’s successes, no matter how small or large they might be. If it was important to them, then it was important to him. To this day when I meet with clients, I always tell them that I leave my ego at the door. There’s no room for it and anybody, no matter who you are, can always learn something from someone else. I owe this to him. Love, Bradford