Joseph Carmack Jones Jr.

Joseph Carmack Jones, Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, faithful Christian, bible school teacher and friend passed from this life at age 81, surrounded by his family, into the arms of his Savior and eternal life on March 23, 2023. Joe was born on December 13, 1941 in Lebanon, Tennessee. He was the first child of Joseph Carmack Jones and Minnie Moline Trisdale Jones.

After WWII ended, Joe and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan. Joe was a talented baseball player and loved the game throughout his life. As a young boy, his parents knew they could always find him anywhere kids were playing baseball. At age 9, he began playing in the Detroit Firemen’s League. He graduated from Southeastern High School, earning letters in both baseball and basketball. He received a full scholarship to attend the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor Degree in Education. Joe married Carole Claudette Wyer in 1962. He played on the varsity baseball team throughout his college years. While at Michigan, he was part of the 1962 team which won the NCAA College World Series under Coach Don Lund, as well as the post-season exhibition game in Hawaii against the collegiate champions from Japan. Upon graduation, Joe signed with the Chicago White Sox where he played and subsequently became a minor league manager. He joined the Kansas City Royals’ organization in 1979, where he served as Field Coordinator of Minor League Instruction and First Base Coach for the Royals’ major league team. From 1997 to 2000, Joe was the First Base Coach on the Major League staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He completed his career in baseball with the Kansas City Royals from 2001 to 2007, where he served as Coordinator of Instruction, MLB First Base Coach, and Special Assistant for Player Development, retiring in 2007.

Joe will be remembered as a devoted Christian, worshiping at South Trail Church of Christ during the majority of his life, where he taught youth bible study classes. His lifelong passions were his family and baseball.

Joe was predeceased by his parents, Joseph, Carmack and Minnie Moline Trisdale Jones. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carole Claudette Wyer Jones; his sons: Kenneth Scott Jones (Roxane) and Timothy Andrew Jones (Tracy); his grandchildren: Kristen Nicole Brazee (Erin), Laura Renee Jones, Nicolas Scott Jones, April Marie Jones; his great grandchildren: Lily Hanna-Kay Miller, Logan Graydon Miller, Robert Scott Brazee, Carter Michael Schlabaugh, Maddox James Shaw and Maddison Maeve Shaw, his sister, Mary Frances Rivard (Daniel); his nephew, Matthew Joseph Rivard.

A memorial gathering with the family will be held at Robert Toale and Sons Funeral Home, Wiegand Chapel, 7454 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, on Friday, March 31st from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. His Celebration of Life will be held at South Trail Church of Christ, 5601 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, on Saturday, April 1st at 11:00 a.m. If you wish to express your sympathy by making a donation in his memory, the family requests donations to Smile Train at https://donate.smiletrain.org/giver or Tidewell Hospice at https://tidewellfoundation.org/donate.

For online tributes, please visit www.rtsfunerals.com