Jones
Ooltewah, Tennessee
Jerry Lee Jones, 76, formerly of Van Wert, passed away in Ooltewah, Tennessee, on May 6, 2026. Jerry was born May 21, 1949, to David Ellsworth “Worth” and Viola Faye (Simmerman) Jones, in Osceola.
Jerry graduated from Clarke Community High School in 1968. He attended Indian Hills Community College (Centerville), Northwest Missouri State College (Maryville, Missouri) and took specialized classes at Grandview College (Des Moines).
Jerry, in true “Jones” fashion, was stubborn, loyal and never met a stranger.
Jerry was married three times. He married Barbara Saltzman in 1970, and divorced in 1976.
He married Sharon (Williams) Carr in 1977, and was blessed with son Jered Jones in 1978. He was stepfather to Sharon’s daughter Vicky (Mart) Goemaat. They divorced in 1981. He married Debbie (Ray) Skarda in 1983, and was blessed with daughter Tamberly “Tammy” in 1983. He was stepfather to Debbie’s son Trinity Ray. They divorced in 2009. While in college, Jerry was a big brother for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. He also coached an adult softball league. He was president of the JC and was a proud shrine member in his local lodge. He started his Mason journey in 1983. Up until he fell and broke his hip in November 2025, he still attended lodge meetings whenever he could. From 1993 to 2001, he coached his daughter’s swim team, the Rockdale Riptides, in Conyers, Georgia. Even though he had no past swimming experience, he and Debbie took the team from a small recreational team and turned it into a large, thriving USA-sanctioned team that also became the official county swim team.
Jerry started working in the telephone industry when he was 20 years old. He worked for Northwest Bell and then AT&T, where he was a supervisor and technical manager. Even after being laid off in the early 2000s, he continued to do the same job as a contractor. He told everyone that he worked “within the walls of AT&T” for 56 years and one day. He retired Jan. 1, 2026.
Jerry spent his free time going to local country and gospel music “opries,” doing fill-in books, aimlessly driving around and playing whenever a game of cards was offered - it would not be turned down. His favorite card game was pinochle. Within the last three years, his favorite past time was watching women’s University of Iowa and WNBA basketball to follow his favorite player, Caitlin Clark.
He is survived by his brother Bill Jones of Celebration, Florida; son Jered Jones of Bussey; daughter Tammy and Matt Klemmer of Ooltewah; stepdaughter Vicky Goemaat; stepson Trinity Ray and Tara McKee of Iowa City; grandchildren: Aluxondier, Teegan, Lukas, Zoey, Angelina, Jasper and Georgia. His parents preceded him in death.
Funeral services were held at Slade-O’Donnell Funeral Home in Leon on May 16 at 10:30 a.m.; interment followed at the Van Wert Cemetery, Van Wert.
