Ann Jones

Ann Jones, widow of William B. Jones, MD, died peacefully on March 29, 2020. Ann was born December 4, 1927 in Martinsville, VA to Lula Pearl and Robert Holt Oakley. She was a resident of The Cascades in Greenville, SC.

Ann graduated in 1946 from Martinsville High School where she was voted “Most Likely to be Superintendent of the Almost Completed Martinsville General Hospital”. She received her Nursing Degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1949.

It was while working at Martinsville General Hospital that she met Bill Jones, a Duke University Medical student who was doing a summer rotation in the Emergency Room. Ann and Bill were married 10 days after his medical school graduation in 1954 and began a wonderful 65 year marriage. In their early years Bill was an active duty officer in the US Air Force, and the two of them were stationed first at Randolph AFB in Texas, where their oldest daughter Lee was born, and then in Toul, France. Upon returning to the US, they lived in Durham, NC while Bill completed his residency and it was there that their second daughter, Kaye, was born. Their next station was in Biloxi, MI, where their youngest daughter Lynn was born. After Bill’s active duty ended they moved to Greenville, SC, where they lived the rest of their lives.

Ann and Bill loved traveling, and visited dozens of countries and all seven continents. Ann had many picture albums from their travels which she loved to share with family and friends. They were able to take their children and grandchildren on many of their adventures.

Ann loved gardening, and always planted her favorite flowers in the gardens of their homes. She and Bill eventually built their dream home at The Cliffs at Glassy Mountain, and Ann made sure the hills around that home were covered in daffodils, peonies and iris. Ann loved to host Thanksgiving and Christmas for the entire family at Glassy, and many wonderful memories were made there. Her family remembers the first Glassy Thanksgiving in 2000 when the house was not even complete, but they had a full dinner thanks to a microwave, saw horses and plywood. Having her family with her was always the most important thing.

Ann and Bill spent many wonderful evenings in dance class with Lib Ryan and other friends, and loved to show their moves on the dance floor. They never passed up a waltz or a Foxtrot, and they rarely missed watching Lawrence Welk on Saturday evening.

Ann loved her Wednesday Girls’ Lunch Bunch. It was one of the highlights of every week for her. Ann loved Duke basketball and never missed a game on TV. She loved rack of lamb, soft shell crab, smoked salmon, and eggs Benedict. And of course Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies.

Ann will be remembered for playing in the creek with her grandchildren, for picking up her grandchildren from soccer practice and taking them for frozen yogurt, for supervising the family Christmas Cookie Bakes (when she didn’t doze off!), and for always loving a good nap. On Family Fun Days she would always say “Let’s rest”. Mostly, though, Ann loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren “with all her heart, bunches & bunches, and To The Moon and Back”.

Ann was predeceased by her husband, Bill, and her sister, Gloria Hawkins (Burton). Ann is survived by her three daughters: Lee Farrar (Steve) of Greenville, Kaye Wallace (Johnny) of Charleston, and Lynn Waters (Stephen) of Simpsonville. She is also survived by her grandchildren Burr Farrar (Anne) of Charlotte, Batten Farrar (Brittany) of Greenville, James Waters and Katie Waters of Simpsonville, great-grandchildren Jones Farrar and Mary Frances Farrar of Charlotte, and nephew Burt Hawkins (Phyllis) of Columbia. She is also survived by many grand-dogs whom she loved dearly.

The family would like to thank Ann’s caregivers Carl Kuzma, CeeCee Allen, and Tiffany Arnold, who took such wonderful care of her these last few years.

The family burial will be private. A celebration of Ann’s life will be announced and held at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Greenville, 847 Cleveland Street, Greenville SC 29601, Water Missions International, PO Box 63320, Charlotte NC 28263-3320, or a charity of the donor’s choosing.

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