Dr. Jack Doyle Jones

Dr. Jack Doyle Jones, age 85, of Gainesville, Georgia, passed away Friday, March 12, 2021 at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. The son of the late Ramsay Doyle and Margaret (Peggy) Jarrett Jones, he was born February 10, 1936 in Toccoa, Georgia. After graduating from Toccoa High School in 1954, he attended Emory University before transferring to the University of Georgia, where he obtained a Bachelor of Education degree, majoring in science and Latin. He also earned both a post-graduate Master of Arts degree in biology and education and a Doctoral of Education degree from Georgia Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee.

Jack began his professional career at Stephens County High School in Toccoa where he taught for seven years. He then transferred to Gainesville Junior College as a zoology and biology professor and later held the position of director of student activities. During his tenure, he received numerous awards and recognitions for his commitment to the field of education.

In his retirement, Jack enjoyed vacationing at the beach and became an avid collector of antiques and clocks. He was a long-time member of the Top of Georgia Airstream Club of Helen, Georgia where he served two terms as president and was the kitchen manager for over 20 years. During the airstream rallies, Jack could be found playing cards, making park improvements and developing long lasting friendships.

Upon learning of his passing, a family member said, “Jack was a learned man with a witty sense of humor who witnessed his faith in Jesus Christ at all our family gatherings. We will miss him.” Whenever his family or friends needed a prayer either in times of sorrow or to praise God for blessings, Jack was the person with the most comforting and encouraging words.

He was preceded in death by his parents; previous wife Sarah Ellen Shropshire Jones; daughter Hope Jones Doering; sister Jean Jones Childs; two brothers-in-law Fred Northcutt and Bruce Childs; and stepdaughter Kim Barker Hinton. He is survived by his loving wife of 19 years, Barbara Barker Jones; son, Brian Jones; brother Jabez (and Virginia) Jones; sister Margaret Ann Jones Northcutt; brother-in-law Ken Rabren; two stepdaughters Kay Barker Quigley and Kandy Barker; step granddaughter Courtney Hinton; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at the Hillcrest Chapel of the Acree-Davis Funeral home in Toccoa, Georgia, with the Reverend David Ritcey officiating. The family will receive friends from noon until the time of the service. Inurnment will follow at Tugaloo Presbyterian Church in Madison, South Carolina.

Memorial tributes may be made in Jack’s memory to Georgia Agape, Inc., 3094 Mercer University Drive, Suite 200, Atlanta, Georgia, 30341; Tugaloo Presbyterian Church Fund, 127 Rocky Top Road, c/o Richard Ramsay, Westminster, South Carolina, 29693; or the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia Adoption Center, 845 West Ridge Road, Gainesville, Georgia, 30501.  

Acree-Davis Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Dr. Jack Doyle Jones.