Wayne Arthur Jones was born on July 12, 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia. Wayne spent most of his childhood years in and around Alpharetta, Georgia. He grew up on a farm and, throughout his life, the lessons and stamina developed through that experience were evident, including the way he battled tirelessly through an extended fight against a number of serious health issues.
Wayne attended Milton High School, where he played football. He later attended Ga Tech and always remained a devoted Ga Tech fan. At the age of seventeen, he met Ann (Head) Jones, who would not only become his sister-in-law but also his closest friend. Wayne and Ann had a special friendship for almost sixty years. Wayne and Grace were able to have lunch with Ann and Wayne’s brother, Shuford only a few days before Wayne passed away.
Wayne and his wife Grace were married on August 24, 1991 at the Helen First Baptist Church in Helen, Ga. Over the course of almost three decades, they loved to travel, including many trips to Tennessee and Savannah, and were always discovering new favorite places. They also loved to try new foods and would frequently make long treks to unique restaurants. One of their favorite memories was a trip to Pigeon Forge. They stopped on the way for a picnic lunch. During their picnic, they noticed some fish in a nearby creek. They walked over and spent the next few hours feeding the fish and just talking to each other. It was a very special time that they reminisced about as recently as last week. They were actively involved in their church and local volunteer organizations. They loved animals, dogs in particular, with Buddy and Molly there by Wayne’s side to the end. Wayne and Grace took the challenges that life threw at them in stride and always seemed to get by as a great team. Grace was nothing short of a saint in the way that she continuously and tirelessly cared for Wayne over the course of many bouts with serious illnesses.
Throughout his life, Wayne was a devoted follower of Christ and made numerous contributions to the churches of which he was a member, with these contributions ever increasing as time passed by. Wayne and Grace faithfully helped those in need whenever and however he could and they rarely missed the opportunity to visit family members, church members, and friends when they were ill. He taught Sunday School, filled in when church staff members were out, and on countless occasions Wayne and Grace would make trips bringing children to church when they otherwise would have not been able to attend – even when it meant adding multiple car seats to their car.
While so many people remain in one profession for their entire career, Wayne was blessed with the inclination, courage, and opportunity to work in a number of different fields, including real estate, the restaurant industry (Dairy Queen district manager and owner of a restaurant in Helen, Ga), the cheese industry (regional manager at Hickory Farms), and the auto industry – his true love.
Those who knew Wayne well will remember his sense of humor and positive outlook on life as much as anything. Wayne was scarcely ever seen without a smile on his face and, in many cases, a serious look may have meant he was in the middle of the setup for a joke. Wayne never met a stranger – he was always quick to engage with people, and to make them feel comfortable. Wayne suffered from a number of illnesses for many years but, literally, to the very end, he kept an unbelievably positive outlook on life, even during the most difficult times. This love of laughter and his ability to see the bright side was, and will always be, an inspiration to many.
Wayne always loved college football, but racing was his true sports passion. He rarely ever missed a Nascar race and, if he did, he always recorded the race on his VCR and watched it later, sometimes multiple times. Wayne also loved to learn. He was an avid reader and took up several hobbies later in life, including woodworking, computers, and learning to play the guitar.
Wayne is survived by his loving wife of 27 years, Grace (Brock), daughter, Victoria (Frank) Kratzer, son Bruce (Francie) Jones, grandchildren: Zachary (Nicole) Kratzer, Devin (Gabe) Torres, Andrew (Jessica) Kratzer, Nicholas Kratzer, Dakota Kratzer, Michael Kratzer, Christopher Kratzer, Cheri Kratzer, Alonna Kratzer, Emma Jones, Zoe Jones, six great-grandchildren, siblings, Shuford (Ann) Jones, Jr., Mary Lynn Jones, David (Janet) Jones, Glenn (Susan) Jones, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Shuford, Sr. and Katherine Jones and his parents-in-law, Loyd and Edna Brock.
Wayne passed away peacefully in his sleep in his home on May 21, 2019, as always, with his wife Grace by his side.
A service dedicated to the celebration of Wayne’s life will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 11 am at Baldwin Baptist Church located at 200 Shore Street Baldwin, Georgia, 30511. Entombment will follow in Yonah Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be from 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm on Friday, May 24, 2019, at Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel located at 245 Hwy. 441 South, Demorest, Georgia 30535.
Donations may be made to one of Wayne’s favorite charities: The Get Real Ministries Bible Fund, Payable to: Get Real, Annotation on Check: Bible Fund – In memory of Wayne Jones, Address: Get Real, PO Box 293, Baldwin, GA 30511 or Baldwin Baptist Church Special Fund, Payable to: Baldwin Baptist Church, Annotation on Check: Special Fund – In memory of Wayne Jones, Address: Baldwin Baptist Church, 200 Shore Street, Baldwin, Georgia, 30511.
Those wishing to express online condolences to the family may do so by visiting www.whitfieldfuneralhomes.com.
Arrangements are in the care of Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel, 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535.
