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Belinda Eileen Molihan Jones, 56, of Hilliard, Ohio, went home to be with the Lord on Feb. 8, 2021. Belinda was born Jul. 9, 1964 to two loving parents, Keith Franklin Molihan and Judy Cray Molihan. She was raised in Vinton County, Ohio along with her late brother, Brian Franklin Molihan. She was devoted to her brother and honored her parents above all others.
Belinda was always immensely proud of her small-town Ohio roots. Even in high school, she was an active promoter of the community and the hometown values she experienced there. She graduated from Vinton County High School in McArthur, Ohio where she, in true Belinda “do it all” fashion, was both a cheerleader on the sidelines and a flutist in the band at halftime. She also played piano for her local church, Wilkesville United Methodist, and was involved in the Junior Miss competition of Vinton County, which she won as a teenager and later helped judge.
From there, Belinda earned her undergraduate Public Relations degree through Capital University. She went on to work at the Statehouse while completing Capital Law School at night. Belinda greatly valued education and continued giving back to Capital University by serving on the Board for the past several years.
During her thirty plus years in and around the Statehouse, Belinda built a career on her sterling reputation as a hardworking and smart advocate. She started in the Ohio House Clerk’s office of Speaker Vernal G. Riffe and then worked as a legislative aide to Mark Malone. From there, she served as Corporate Counsel for The Scott’s Company and finally as Legislative Counsel for The Capitol Consulting Group. From the beginning, Belinda was incredibly dedicated to her clients and went well above and beyond what was necessary. In many cases, she developed close personal friendships with her clients that lasted long after their professional relationship had concluded.
No matter if you were a high profile politician, senior official, aide, intern, or security guard, Belinda made you feel special. She went out of her way to show everyone kindness, not because it would advance a professional agenda, but because she just wanted to brighten everyone’s day. Belinda’s Statehouse colleagues have endless stories demonstrating her faith, love, and generosity; it was Belinda’s early morning text to let you know she prayed for you, the flowers to a friend, the words of affirmation and encouragement, her kind smile, and the hug when no words would do. The halls of the Statehouse were daily brightened by her light.
Throughout her life and career, she had a significant impact on many charitable organizations and nonprofit foundations. This includes Big Brothers Big Sisters, March of Dimes, CATCH Court, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Akron Children’s Hospital, Sam’s Fans, and several others.
Anyone who met Belinda knows of her deep devotion to her children. She was so proud of them, not so much for their accomplishments, but for their character and their active faith; they were her shining pride and joy. Not only did she give all she had to their happiness, she also enveloped every single friend they brought home. Known as “Aunt B” to many, she always had an encouraging word and a bowl of soup to anyone who walked through her door. To be a friend of the Jones siblings was to be loved by Belinda.
Her greatest legacy, however, is her strong belief in God and His goodness. She was a rock-solid follower of Christ; through seasons of blessings and trials, her mantra was “To God Be The Glory”. She loved her Bible, loved pouring into small groups of younger women, and loved her local churches-- Powell United Methodist and Linworth Baptist.
Belinda is survived by her mother, Judy; her children, who are indebted to her constant encouragement and love, Logan Jones (Layne), Trent Jones (Kiera Miller), Hannah Jones Zimmerer (Bobby); her new baby grand-daughter, Eleanor Jones; and too many friends to count. She was preceded in death by her brother, Brian Molihan; and father, Keith Molihan, who passed away just 6 months ago on Aug., 1 2020.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you give back to the community, just as Belinda loved to do, by donating to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Big Brother Big Sisters, or Freedom al la Cart, a Columbus program that partners with CATCH court in helping women who have been caught in human trafficking: 5000 Arlington Center Blvd., 43220.
In Columbus, calling hours are under the direction of Schoedinger Dublin, 5980 Perimeter Dr, Dublin, OH 43017, on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 3-7pm, and under the direction of Linworth Baptist Church, 6200 Linworth Rd, Worthington, OH 43085, on Friday, Feb. 12 from 12-1pm with a funeral to follow there at 1:00. For those unable to attend the funeral, instructions for accessing a live-stream will be shared on the Schoedinger website. In Vinton County, calling hours will be held on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 11-12 PM at Wilkesville United Methodist, 9512 OH-160, Vinton, OH 45686, followed by a graveside burial at Radcliff Cemetery at 12:15 PM.
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