- Date Of Birth: December 22, 1921
- Date Of Death: May 13, 2009
- State: Florida
Harold (“Hal”) Martin Jones, Lt. Col. USAF (retired) 1921-2009
Hal died peacefully in his sleep on May 13, 2009 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease and cancer. He was born on December 22, 1921 in Adona, Arkansas to Sam and Theresa Jones. He will be remembered as a devoted family man who was honest and humble in spirit, sincere and generous to those he met, and close to God through daily prayer.
Hal attended Paron High School in Arkansas and went on to complete 2 years at Arkansas Polytechnic College in Russellville.
Following his discharge from the Army, he married his sweetheart Iva Ina (“Jo”) McKellar on October 11, 1946 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Shortly thereafter, he began his family and career in the USAF. His career provided a life’s worth of travel and adventure for himself and his family. His tours of duty were in Georgia, French Morocco, Brooklyn, N.Y., San Antonio, Germany, Washington, D.C., and finally Fort Walton Beach, FL.
In 1974, he began a new career as he helped open the then-named General Hospital of Fort Walton Beach as Purchasing Director. He was active in the Sand and Spur horse facility on Eglin AFB and rather late in life took up the challenge of distance running. Over the years he participated in numerous local and regional races and routinely won or placed in the top three in his age group.
His daily life was characterized by a practical “waste-not, want-not”, do-it –yourself philosophy.
He was a confirmed recycler and composter long before it was in vogue. Scraps of material, old lumber, hardware and other items found their way into furniture, garden implements, horse tack and decorative objects. Hal was so meticulous and patient that a wide range of tradesmen and professionals admired his handiwork.
Hal is survived by his son Martin of Walnut Creek, California, daughters Kathleen and Jennifer of Fort Walton Beach, brother Stanley Jones of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Sister Tabitha Wilson of Nesbit, Mississippi. Hal was preceded in death by his parents and older sister Mary Sue, his wife Jo passed away in September of 2006, one month before their 60th wedding anniversary.
Niceville, Florida 32578
