Charles A. Jones

march 6th, 1914 - july 22, 2009

the most amazing man to ever enter my life.

here's what i read:

how do you honor such a wonderful man's life in just a few paragraphs?

it may truly be an impossible task. But, in the vein of my grandfather, i will try to muster the words and strength to do so.

but of course no amount of words will ever leave me feeling i've honored him in the way i feel about him in my heart.

My grandfather, the patriarch of our family. the love of my life.  to those of you here today, you must know something about who he was & i thank you for paying respect. for me, he was the guiding force for so much in my life. he was a hard worker, a gentle hand, a loving caretaker, a man of great faith and conviction. he had pride in his family, and praised us all individually. he was a remarkable husband, father, grandfather & great grandfather. 

i always felt a special bond with him. he was my mentor and always encouraged me with great enthusiasm to pursue and develop my creativity. when times were tough in my life i knew i could make it through for him. when times were good, he would always be one of the first to share in my joy. as i grew older, i am so grateful to have had the time spent with him to really get to know him. i felt a kinship with him that was so unique and undeniable. he made me laugh, made me feel special & gave me all the comfort a granddaughter could possibly want.  spending time and talking with him left me feeling fulfilled in a way i cannot describe. 

this is how i feel he had an affect on our family. why else would we all stay so close. his son moving only next door, mine & my aunt's family living only miles away.  we've remained close & our family has grown in the spirit of love and faith that he passed onto all of us.

my grandfather wore many hats & possessed countless attributes but he remained a humble, quiet, gentle and generous man.when asked what the most valuable lesson he had learned during his existence, he assuredly answered, "christ died for our sins on the cross". he loved the lord and was not afraid to "go home" and meet again with his loving wife, his only reservation was that he loved being with his family. we can all feel comfort knowing where he is today. 

after the loss of my grandmother he discovered a new side of himself.  he enjoyed being in his home, decorating, baking, cooking, visiting with family, especially the children who provided him with so much joy. he couldn't possibly collect enough toys and books for them. he just loved to give and he always did, passing on the generosity gene to all of us who learned from him.

94 years had brought many experiences throughout his life.  he stayed close to home and saw a world changing around him. from outhouse to indoor plumbing. horse drawn buggie to motor vehicle, the great depression, 2 world wars during his lifetime, air travel, space travel, a man on the moon. from segregation to our first black president. he seemed to sit back and marvel at it all. he always stayed present & loved the changing of times but always remained the same strong man. after all, you don't live 94 years without being strong.

today i ask that you think of the life he led & feel joy in your heart for him. lets remember his life today, not his passing.

i would have kept him around forever if i could but i'm grateful that he was able to live well and retain his dignity up to 

the very end. so as he moves from beyond this earth into eternal life we can keep him here in spirit, where he can continue 

to exist in our hearts and memories.