H. Reid Jones

Hubert Reid Jones, 84, passed away peacefully on Sunday. Reid was born in Shelby, where he first developed his love of the outdoors. He spent many summers at his family’s summer home, Chetola in Blowing Rock, where he and his cousins fished, hunted and roamed the countryside. His parents died when he was a young boy, so he and his siblings moved to Raleigh. He went to Sewanee Military Academy for high school and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Reid was the son of the late Virginia Snyder Jones and Hubert Reid Jones. He is preceded in death by his brother, Crisman Jones; sister, Freta Ann Jones; and his first wife and mother to his three children, Elizabeth Arthur Bell.

He is survived by his loving and kind wife, Veda R. Jones. Reid’s hunting, fishing and boyhood stories will be treasured by his daughter, Anna Ball Hodge and husband Joe; son, Hubert Reid Jones, Jr. and wife Coles; son, Charles Davis Arthur Jones and wife Lisa; stepdaughter, Lynn Sumner Collar and husband John; stepson, Thomas B. Sumner III; grandchildren, Anna Ball Hodge, Elizabeth Hodge Carr and husband Brandt, Josephine Lawrence Hodge, Hubert Reid Jones III, Ruffin Norfleet Jones, Eli Arthur Jones, Dylan Edward Jones, Avett Charles Jones, Cameron Sumner Collar, Jeremy Austin Collar, Thomas Blount Sumner IV, Livia Brown Sumner, Kemp Charles Sumner and Lincoln Grace Sumner and great-grandson, Joseph Lawrence Hodge Braswell (Jack) and his father, Jeffrey Allen Braswell; plus his two beloved dogs, Harpo and Sadie.

Reid loved to fish the lakes, ponds, rivers and other wild areas of North Carolina. With a deep appreciation for the outdoors, he was in his element teaching his grandchildren how to fish for largemouth bass, always accompanied by his beloved golden retrievers. He was revered as one of the most accomplished freshwater fishermen to family and friends and he loved telling stories of his adventures on the water. Reid was also an outstanding gardener and golfer, as he was taught the game by his mother when he was young.

Because of his love and respect for nature, he worked tirelessly to preserve it. He held numerous leadership positions with Ducks Unlimited, serving as North Carolina State Chairman and National Trustee. He was inducted into the NC Ducks Unlimited Hall of Fame. Reid wanted to ensure that wild ducks could always thrive in healthy habitats.

When Reid and Veda lived in Kitty Hawk, he contributed to preservation efforts at Nags Head Woods, eventually serving as Chairman of the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve. Reid was a member of the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Nature Conservancy. He also worked with North Carolina State University, helping them determine the bass population in the Alligator River.

Reid was born into the Coca-Cola family, as his grandfather J. Luther Snyder, was the first Coca-Cola bottler in North Carolina. Reid served on the Coca-Cola Consolidated board of directors for over 30 years. He only ate at restaurants that served Coke products and made sure his family only drank Coke products!

The family would like to express tremendous gratitude to the dedication of Lekitacare. Each person was known as “Nomi” to our father and his last few months of life were filled with their grace and compassion. Transitions of Wake County played an important role to both Reid and his family during the last stage of his life.

One of our favorite photos of “Sheik” or “Big Reid”, as he was lovingly called by his grandchildren, is of him kissing a dragonfly that has just landed on his finger.

The family will host a visitation at the home of Reid and Coles Jones on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 from 5pm to 7pm. A private service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ducks Unlimited or a charity of your choice.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 Saint Mary's Street Raleigh, NC.