Ala. Born on June 15, 1947, Bruce was the youngest son of Elizabeth Entrekin Jones and Claude
Jones. He grew up in Hueytown, Ala., with siblings Joel Thomas, Carol Thomas, Ken Jones,
and Judy Jones and graduated from Hueytown High School in 1965. He attended
Livingston State College in Livingston, Ala., and Jacksonville State University in
Jacksonville, Ala. From 1968-1972, he was a proud member of the United States Navy and a
Vietnam Veteran. He was stationed as a guard in Danang, South Vietnam and most notably,
he served at Camp Tien Sha.
Bruce was one of the lucky few to meet the love of his life on a blind date. He met his wife
of 46 years, Debbie Riley, after being set up by his future sister-in-law, Beverly. They were
married on July 17, 1975, and have spent the last 35 years living in Hoover, Ala., where they
raised their two sons.
He was a dedicated worker who enjoyed solving problems and had a natural gift for
numbers. Bruce’s career included working for Rast Construction, Sullivan, Long & Hagerty,
and U.S. Steel. Throughout the years, he served as an estimator, project manager, and safety
coordinator.
Of all of his achievements, Bruce was most proud of his family: son Eric and his wife Anna
Marie, grandson Jackson, 7, and granddaughter Madison (Maddie), 4; son Todd and his wife
Morgan. He was an involved dad, coaching both of his sons in baseball and serving as a
Cub Scout leader. Bruce cherished spending time with his family, especially his
grandchildren.
A lover of music, Bruce was known for his eclectic music tastes. He was an avid sports fan,
and loved cheering on the Auburn Tigers. He loved to play baseball and golf and holds the
1959 title of Hueytown Little League Batting Champion. Bruce had a hunger for adventure
and spent his spare time traveling, taking international trips and cruises. He also loved
being outdoors and exploring nature. He was passionate about helping others, and his
sense of humor was beloved by many. Bruce loved to bring a smile to people’s faces
through jokes and storytelling.
Bruce’s love for helping other people inspired his passion for supporting cancer research.
During his illness, he participated in clinical research trials at Tennessee Oncology in
Nashville, Tenn., with Dr. Melissa Johnson in hopes that his participation would help others
battling cancer. He also received world class care at UAB for his multiple cancer diagnoses,
and his family would like to express deep gratitude to all of the medical teams who treated
him over the years. Because of this world class care, he enjoyed many family milestone
moments including the weddings of both of his sons and the births of his two grandchildren.
The family will host a visitation on Thursday, January 13, from 5-7 PM and a funeral service
on Friday, January 14, at 1 PM. Both services will be held at Southern Heritage Funeral
Home (475 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham, AL 35124).
Bruce never met a stranger. His kindness touched many, and he will be remembered as a
wonderful husband and loving father. In lieu of flowers, his family would like to request
donations made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
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