John Edward “Johnny” Jones

It is with both sorrow and hope that we share the passing of my father, John E. Jones Sr.

This afternoon, Dad laid aside his earthly tent and entered the city whose foundations are built by God. Through the salvation accomplished by Christ, his long battle with Parkinsonian Dementia has ended, and his suffering is no more.

My family and I are deeply grateful for the prayers, love, and support so many of you have given us during this journey. Service details will be shared soon.

Beyond his faith and love for family, Dad had a lifelong passion for duck hunting and football. At Stephen F. Austin, he was a tough-as-nails linebacker, earning the nickname “Pine Knot” after knocking out more than a few sets of teeth with his forearm.

One of the most defining chapters of his life came during his service to our country in Vietnam — a story of sacrifice and survival that shaped the man he became.

During his service in Vietnam, my dad was shot in both shoulders, with much of his brachial artery destroyed. Severely wounded and bleeding, he refused to give up. Inch by inch, he crawled nearly 300 yards through the jungle until he reached the perimeter of a U.S. base — where he was almost shot again, mistaken for the enemy.

A field surgeon working in the mud and chaos of battle managed to patch him up just enough to give him a chance at survival. Doctors later said that without that skillful care in the field, he would not have lived. On his way out of Vietnam, strapped to a gurney aboard a helicopter bound for Guam, the aircraft was struck by lightning, and the crew thought they might crash into the ocean. Even in evacuation, his life hung by a thread.

When my family finally saw him in a stateside hospital, he was still covered in the blood and mud from the jungle because doctors had been too afraid to disturb the fragile clots holding him together. They told my grandparents he probably would not live — and if he did, he would never use his left arm again.

But my dad proved them wrong. Through years of grit, determination, and faith, he regained enough strength and function to work a normal job and provide for his family. What doctors called impossible, he made reality.

My dad lived because he was a fighter — a trait that carried him through Vietnam, through recovery, and through every season of his life.

We love him, we will miss him, and we rejoice that he is now at peace with the Lord.

Survivors include his wife, Brenda Jones; children, Dana Beason and husband, Huey and John Jones, Jr. and wife, Tara; grandchildren, Hannah Kairdolf and husband, Justin, Haley Ortiz and husband, Luis, Ashtyn Barthol and husband, Zach, Emily Jones, Olivia Jones, and Hope Beason; great-grandchildren, Huey Kairdolf and Wyatt Kairdolf; and siblings, Jack Jones and wife, Kathy, Lulu Bartlett, and Sherry Mills and husband, Dale.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, Tennessee 38105.

A gathering of Mr. Jone’s family and friends will begin at 1:00 p.m., with his funeral service to follow at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at Broussard’s, 505 North 12^th Street, Nederland. His interment will follow at Oak Bluff Memorial Park, Port Neches.