Billy Ralph Jones

He grew up in West Jefferson, one of six children of Ralph and Daphne Jones. While a West Jefferson High School student, he excelled in athletics, especially as a running back on the football team.

He and his wife, then Sherry Green, met on a blind date in 1971. Shortly after, he began attending The University of Alabama, where he earned a degree in Marketing. After he and Sherry married in 1974, the couple moved to Pleasant Grove and he began working for Jim Walter Resources No. 3 Mine. During his 23 years there, he served on the Mine Rescue Team. For the last 16 years with Jim Walter he was a home-builder on the side before transitioning to construction full-time. Over the many homes he built, and countless more renovated, he was meticulous, overseeing every project with the utmost attention to detail because “no one will do it like I can.”

His greatest joy has always been supporting his family and friends, including coaching his children’s sports teams and leading youth group activities at First Baptist Pleasant Grove. Later in life, he loved entertaining his grandchildren the most. While his smile lit up a room and no one was more eager to hear or tell a joke, he always said the most important thing he could do was to live out his faith and share the love of God with his family. He will be missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife, Sherry Jones; daughter, Ashley (Ryan) Connell; son, Blake (Alice) Jones; brother James (Debbie) Jones; sisters, Wanda Varden and Darlene (Mickey) Maynard; and grandchildren, Carter Connell and Emerson Connell.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Ray Jones, and sister, Jeanette Rollins.

Services will be held on Tuesday, September 26 at 10 a.m. at Southern Heritage Funeral Home with Michael Adler officiating. Burial will follow at Shanghi Cemetery in Quinton, AL.

The family requests memorial donations may be made in support of The Amyloidosis Foundation.