Paul Kemp Jones Jr.

Paul passed away peacefully at his home on May 20, 2024, surrounded by his family after a long battle with congestive heart failure. Paul was born on October 12, 1946 to Paul Kemp Jones, Sr. and Edna Mae Jones (Johnson) in Baltimore, MD. Paul graduated from Richardson High School and was eventually drafted during Vietnam and spent 4 years in the Air Force as a prop mechanic working on C-130 Hercules airplanes (the “Herkey birds”). In November of 1968, he met his future wife, Sarah Mingle, at a Shoney’s Drive-In in Murfreesboro, TN near where he was stationed in Smyrna. 4 days after they met, he left for Vietnam. On the day of his discharge from the Air Force on February 6,1970, he married Sarah in Murfreesboro, and they immediately moved to Richardson, TX where they eventually raised their 2 daughters, Nicole and Amanda.

Paul was a Harley Davidson mechanic working for Conley’s Harley Davidson (later Harley Davidson of Dallas) and Show & Go Cycle of Richardson for most of his career where he earned the reputation of and was widely known as one of the best motorcycle mechanics. His favorite hobby was building and racing nitro fuel drag bikes and was a tough competitor on the track, holding many class records. His family loved to take road trips across the country whether it be to the races, the mountains, or to the beach. His sense of humor kept family events lively and helped him keep a positive outlook while battling many health issues later in his life.

Paul was a miracle from birth as he was born with perfectly parallel L-Transposition of the Great Arteries, a rare congenital heart defect, which was discovered when he was 50 years old. In 2018, Paul had a ground-breaking procedure to help close a leaky valve of his heart using Mitra Clips. He was the second person in the country to get the latest Mitra Clips, and the first person to have them on the tricuspid valve. The family would like to thank the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital of Dallas for taking such great care of Paul and treating his many health issues for over 20 years.

Paul was also an active member of the Richard Ray Bible class at The Heights church for many years.

Paul is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sarah, and daughters, Nicole and Amanda, sister Janet Kraatz, sister and brother-in-law Ginny and Doug Gillespie, sister and brother-in-law Ann and Rudy Sookdeo, and brother-in-law William Mingle of Murfreesboro, TN, as well as many nephews and nieces.

Donations may be made to The American Legion, a U.S. Veterans Association, Local Post 368, at www.legion.org, or to the Good Shepherd Fund for the Car Care Ministry for widows and single women at The Heights Church www.theheights.org/give.