Thomas Jones

Conway........Thomas Elson Jones, age 79, of Longwood Lane, died Saturday, December 30, 2006 at Carolinas Hospital Systems in Florence. Mr. Jones was born October 11, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, a son of the late Charles Henry and Ellen Johanna Beers Jones. He was a member of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church where he was an original member of the Church Council. Mr. Jones was a member of the Fellowship Committee, was a past member of the Social Ministry Committee and the Worship Committee. He was a member of Pairs and Spares and loved Daily Vacation Bible School, decorating the church and giving people ideas. Mr. Jones loved church and classical music. Mr. Jones received a Bachelors Degree from Northern Illinois University and his Master of Fine Arts Degree from Ohio University and did his Doctorate work at Ohio State University and his residency at Louisiana State University. He was teacher of Speech and Theater at McHenry High School in McHenry, Illinois and teacher of Speech and Theater at Mentor High School in Mentor, Ohio. Mr. Jones was Professor of Speech and Theater at Heidlberg College in Tiffan, Ohio and Professor and Technical Director of the Theater Department at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He was Chairman of the Speech and Theater Department at Merryville College in Merryville, Tennessee. Mr. Jones moved to Conway in 1979 and became Technical Director of the Coastal Carolina University Theater and helped open the Wheelwright Auditorium and help establish the Theater Program. He became head of the Speech and Theater Department and went on to become Director of the Wheelwright Auditorium. Due to his love of students and teaching, he returned to teaching Public Communication and Film at Coastal Carolina University and retired July 1, 2006. Mr. Jones had done seminars in Georgetown and Pawleys Island on Film History and did research on Theater History and Radio History and presented papers at different conferences. He was a member of the Southeastern Theater Conference, the Conway City Seniors and many other related organizations. He was a past member of the Speech Association of America and was an original board member of CAP. Mr. Jones directed for the Theater of the Republic, Murrells Inlet Community Theater, the Grand Strand Theater and during his career he directed over 200 plays. Surviving are his wife, Jean E. Jones of Conway, two sons, Christopher David Jones and his wife, Denice of Tampa, FL and Timothy Erik Jones and his wife, Cindy od Raleigh, NC, three grandchildren, Lauren Elizabeth Jones, Lindsay Colleen Jones and Erik Christopher Jones all of Raleigh, NC. Memorials services will be held at 4:30 PM Wednesday at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church with Rev. Marion Brazell officiating. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 2105 Hwy. 501, Conway, SC 29526. Sign a guestbook at

Tributes

Thomas Jones

December 30, 2006