Mr. Kenneth Vann Jones, Sr., the beloved son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Vinnie Jones, was born on November 28, 1945, in Jacksonville, Texas. He was the eldest of two children and was raised with the privilege and responsibility that came with being the son of Mr. H.V. Jones, a respected educator and principal of the historic Frederick Douglass High School. In the Jones household, education was not only a value—it was a way of life. Under his father’s leadership, Frederick Douglass High became a beacon of academic excellence, opening doors to higher education for generations of African-American students.
Kenneth inherited a deep legacy of learning. His great-grandfather, Henry Chatman, was born enslaved in Savannah, Georgia. After migrating to East Texas, he learned to read and write and ultimately purchased a cotton gin. With an entrepreneurial spirit, he acquired significant acres of land in what is still known as the Churchill Community. This land became home to the Churchill CME Church and Churchill Elementary School, institutions founded through Henry Chatman’s generosity. The remaining land sustained generations of his family, supporting farming, cattle-raising, horseback riding, and homesteading.
Kenneth’s mother, Faye C. Jones, was a lifelong educator in the Jacksonville school system. His paternal aunts, Dorothy Jones Roach Reed and Ernestine Faye Jones Branch, integral in the family tradition, served as educators across all levels of academia between them—from elementary classrooms to college campuses.
Kenneth received his early education in Jacksonville public schools and graduated with pride from the historic Frederick Douglass High School in 1963. He went on to attend Hampton University (formerly Hampton Institute), where he became a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and where he met the young lady who became his wife, Mary Deloris “Lois” Moore. The two were married in 1967 and welcomed their first child, Kenneth Vann Jones, Jr. Kenneth, Sr. and Lois continued their education at The Ohio State University, where their second child, Michelle Yvette—affectionately nicknamed “Meat”—was born.
After finishing their undergraduate studies, the young family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Kenneth enrolled at Meharry Medical College. With a growing family and a call to serve, Kenneth accepted a commission as a Captain in the U.S. Army through the ROTC program. He completed Medical Officer Training and served in the Medical Services Corps, both active duty and in the Army Reserves, until his retirement.
While his Christian faith was nurtured early at Benson Memorial C.M.E. Church, where he was baptized, Kenneth often said he felt closest to God in the great outdoors. Time spent in nature brought him peace and spiritual renewal. From a young age, he joined his father, uncles, and cousins on hunting and fishing trips—activities that remained among his greatest joys throughout his life.
Eventually settling in Dickson, Tennessee, Kenneth built a quiet life filled with community and purpose. He found a circle of friends who shared his love for fishing and bird hunting. He was renowned for training award-winning hunting dogs. He and his hunting buddies spent countless hours in the woods—stopping only once to run a Christmas errand for his beloved granddaughter, Madison. He was blessed with two grandchildren who call him “Daddy-Da” - Mackey Stewart Long, III nicknamed “Partner” and Madison Elyse Long nicknamed “Meatels”
Kenneth was a devoted family man and a loyal friend. In Dickson, he met Shirley R. Sanders (now deceased) and became a father figure and mentor to her children, Kenneth Sanders and Gracie Sanders Newman, and later to their children Caleb (now deceased), Simona, Kirby and Ashley – who called him “Grandpa”. Whether offering guidance, fixing “things”, or gardening (to compete with his daughter), Kenneth found joy in a simple life - making meaningful connections with people and serving wherever he could lend a helping hand.
He leaves behind a legacy rooted in service and love. He will be remembered as a powerful presence—a man who took pride in his family’s heritage, served his country, and touched many lives with intellect, wisdom, and strength.
Preceded in death by his son, Kenneth Vann Jones, Jr. (2023) and his sister, Sandra Benita Jones (2007), Kenneth is survived by devoted daughter, Michelle Yvette Jones (Mackey) Long, Esq. of Nashville, Tennessee; grandson, Mackey Stewart Long, III; granddaughter Madison Elyse Long; former wife, Mary Deloris Jones Johnson; first cousins Leandra (Hattie) Jones, Oscar Faye Branch-Williams, Alan (Charlotte) Branch; who join a host of family and life-long friends to cherish his memory. Visitation on Monday, June 30, 2025, 4-6 p.m. at Taylor Funeral Home, Dickson. Graveside Service and Interment Jacksonville City Cemetery, Jacksonville, Texas.
