Josephine Isabelle Elliott Jones (Jo)

November 25, 1922 - January 22, 2022

Josephine Isabelle Elliott Jones November 25,1922-January 22, 2022 Josephine Isabelle Elliott Jones (Jo) died peacefully at home surrounded by family on Saturday, January 22, 2022. Jo was born November 25, 1922, in McDonough, Georgia to Dr. John Lawson Elliott and Josephine Isabelle Hucheson Elliott. She grew up in Savannah, Georgia. Jo graduated from Savannah High School in 1940, from Armstrong Junior College in 1942, and earned her degree in Chemistry from the University of Georgia in 1944. After college, Jo worked in her father’s medical practice before she took a job as a chemist for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She was a researcher there on the Manhattan Project during World War II. Following the war, she married Charles Marks Jones, Jr., and the couple moved to Charles’s hometown of Albany, GA, where he entered his father’s business, Consolidated Loan Company. Jo actively embraced life and engaged fully in living into her 100th year. She was involved in a variety of civic organizations including the Junior Women’s Club, the League of Women Voters, and the Charity League, for which she was a 50-year volunteer at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. She was also an advocate for the arts including involvement in the Arts Council, Albany Museum of Art, Theatre Albany, and the Community Concert Association. In 1968, Jo was honored to be named Albany’s Woman of the Year by the Albany Community Council. Jo belonged to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for 75 years. She served on the vestry, was president of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW), a regular lay reader, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, and a member of the choir. She was the second female lay reader at St. Paul’s and one of the first women to serve on the vestry. Jo was a member of a Bridge Club and Monday Coffee Club with her dear friends. Writing and acting were lifelong interests. She wrote a theater column for the Albany Herald, and she performed at Theatre Albany. She and Charles took their children on long trips across the United States and later traveled worldwide with friends. Jo was a vital member of her community, a faithful loving wife, and a matriarch to an extensive family. Jo is preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Charles Marks Jones, Jr., her son, Charles Marks Jones III, her father and mother, stepmother, Nancy Gurr Elliott, son-in-law, Van Presley, sisters, Mary Lou Elliott Cain and Nancy Elliott Himes, brothers, John Lawson Elliott, Jr. and John Augustin Elliott, a niece, Becky Watson and a nephew, Edward Himes. She is survived by four of her children, Nancy Presley, Susan Willson (Bill), Jody Bancroft (Brad), and Elliott Jones (Melissa Thurmond), daughter-in-law Amy Jones, twelve grandchildren, Asa Leffer, Forrest Leffer (Nithya Selvan), Corbett Presley, Mary Mason (Reagan), Ivey Karwowski (Dennis), Hank Willson (Deborah Thrope), Charlie Willson (Emily), Isabelle Willson (Mark Bender), Lindsey Bader (David), John Lawson Booth (Melea), Cody Jones, and Emma Jones, 17 great grandchildren, three nieces, Martha Himes Kirksey (Al), Connie Cain (Leigh Bien), and Lydia Cain Cavanaugh, and two nephews, Randy Cain (Loyrett) and Bill Himes (Sherrie), Martin Leffer, father of Asa and Forrest, and Jesse Booth, father of Lindsey and John Lawson. Her family is grateful for the loving care provided by Betty Brown, Felicia Canty, Jessica Hooks, Karen Hunter, Dainedra Huntley, Donna Tabb and previously by Joan Ford, VaShaune Hall, and Grace Sims. A memorial service celebrating the life of Josephine "Jo" Isabelle Elliott Jones will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 212 N. Jefferson St., Albany, GA 31701.