Bobbie Jean Jones

Bobbie Jean Jones (nee: Waites) peacefully entered into the presence of our Lord and Savior on April 26, 2023. She is predeceased by her husband of thirty-five years, Lucius C.M. Jones.

She is survived by her loving and dedicated children, Michael Wayne Jefferson (Carolyn) of Wayne, NJ, and James Keith Jefferson (Julie) of Beavercreek, OH. She is also survived by former spouse James E. Jefferson. She was predeceased by her daughter, Joan Runa Jefferson.

Bobbie was the loving grandmother of seven grandchildren; Brittany, Malcolm, Marcus, Claire, Kate, Simon and Daniel, and great grandmother to one great grandson, Julian.

She was predeceased by her five siblings, sister Esther Branch, and brothers Taylor, Elijah, and James Waites.

Bobbie was born on April 11,1939 to Taylor and Sallie Waites in Marlin, Texas. She graduated from A. J. Moore High School and married James E. Jefferson in 1957. Bobbie and James lived in California and Athens, Greece before the family settled in Dayton, Ohio in 1966. She worked at Robert Hall clothier as one of their top salespersons for many years before working for NCR Corporation in their computer operations.

Bobbie married Lucius Jones in 1984. Bobbie and Lucius would spend the next thirty-five years building a marriage based on their faith in the Lord, and love for family and friends. She was a loving and supportive wife to Lucius and encouraged him, after being a life-long resident of Dayton, Ohio, to accept a significant job opportunity at Mansfield University, which required them to relocate to Mansfield, Pennsylvania. Lucius would work there until he retired, but they frequently travelled back to Ohio during significant holidays and during the summertime. She tried to stay active in the lives of her grandchildren whenever she was in Ohio.

Bobbie was a faithful member of the Spinning Road Baptist church for over 50 years, where she served on several boards and committees. She leaned on her faith to get her through many of the challenges that she faced throughout her life. The sudden loss of Joan, at the age of 14, marked the beginning of Bobbie's full surrender and trust in the Lord. She was a prayer warrior and sought to live in a way that honored the Lord each day. She and Lucius were good stewards of the financial provisions that the Lord bestowed on them, supporting family, friends and sometimes people that they barely knew. She had a true servant's heart and she demonstrated a capacity to "love her neighbor" by caring for several of her elderly neighbors.

After the Lord, Bobbie's biggest love was her children and her grandchildren. She loved it when her children and their families were able to get together during the summer and the holidays. She also found ways to be involved in her grandchildren's daily lives and she was someone whom each of them could always talk to about anything. She supported and encouraged them in all of their academic and professional pursuits.

Bobbie also loved working in her yard and garden, enthusiastically watching ANY sporting event, power walking through Shellabarger Park with her miniature Cincinnati Reds baseball bat (for overly aggressive dogs), preparing food for family and friends, spending time with her friends, shopping for bargains, and her many travels with Lucius on their vacations.

Bobbie's strong faith, her hospitality, love, support and care for family and friends will be remembered by all who knew and loved her. Funeral service will be held at Spinning Road Baptist Church on May 22, 2023, at 12:00pm. Her family will receive friends and family at 11:00am.

In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation.