Otis Henry Jones

Otis Henry Jones passed away peacefully at home in Abilene, Texas on Thursday, January 19, 2017. Visitation is planned from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, January 23, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene. A service celebrating his life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 24, in the First Baptist Church, Abilene, sanctuary officiated by Rev. Scott Loar. Interment will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park. Otis was born in Stamford, Texas on May 28, 1930 to Chris Otis Jones and Annie Elizabeth (West) Jones. He grew up in Stamford and graduated from Stamford High School. He attended Tarleton State University. He served in the U. S. Air Force. He moved to Abilene in 1953 to work in the new district office of the Texas Highway Department. He rose through the ranks with TXDOT focusing on maintenance operations. In 1983, he received the Luther DeBerry Award given annually by Texas A & M to one employee in recognition of outstanding contributions to the State of Texas in the field of Transportation. He participated in the Texas Public Employees Association, the Texas Good Roads Association, and several state-wide task forces related to public transportation. He was a founding director of the Highway Department Credit Union. He retired from the Department with 41 years of service in 1993. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Abilene. He was a Royal & Select Mason (Big Country Council No. 192, R. & S. M.) and Royal Arch Mason (Big Country Chapter No.310, R.A.M.) for over 60 years as well as a Knights Templar. In Abilene, he organized a community watch group for the street where they lived. He served on the Board of Directors for the Abilene Philharmonic Association. On October 23, 1971 he married Jane Pierce. They were married for 45 years and made their home in Abilene. He enjoyed working in his yard, golfing, get-togethers with family and friends, local music and drama productions, and traveling with his wife. He actively supported his wife in Friends of the Abilene Public Library activities, Abilene Philharmonic Guild, and AAUW. They made travel memories together in the U. S., Canada, the Caribbean, Panama Canal, France, England, Switzerland, Scandinavia, China, New Zealand, and Australia. Special thanks go to their niece Debbie who accompanied them on their travels after his stroke. He was preceded in death by his parents; a younger brother, Gene Jones; and two nephews, James Otis Allday and Colin Jones. Otis is survived by his wife Jane of Abilene; five sisters, Jo Ann Jones of Abilene, Peggy Holbrooks of Stamford, Lonell Jones of Charleston, SC, Betty Allday of Abilene, and Jane Jones of Dallas; brother Chris Jones of Dallas, TX; and sister-in-law, Peggy Jones of Abilene. Otis is also survived by five nieces and their families, Debbie Prichard, Jill Loar, Tammy Baker, Tiffany Allday Doan and Cozy Jones, as well as his beloved animal sidekicks, Precious and Callie.