Larry L. Jones

Larry L. Jones, 81, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on Tuesday morning, May 28, 2019. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alice and Horace Jones, and he is survived by his wife of 58 years, Phyllis; his children, Lee Ann, Lari Lane, and Barrett, all of Virginia Beach; a sister, Faye Palmer, of Richmond; and other special family members. Born in Richmond, Larry often spoke of his happy childhood. He developed a love of cars early on and became an excellent mechanic. In his twenties, Larry was hired by the Armour Oil Company of San Diego to manage their automotive departments in GEX stores across the country and did so for nearly 25 years. When the stores closed, he purchased the Hampton location, opened a Denbigh location, and sold tires as GEX Automotive for the next 25 years. His success was a result of his fairness to his customers and their repeat business. All along, Larry was involved in repairing/restoring street rods and participating in car shows, driving his 1950 Oldsmobile Futuramic 88 in recent years. With his many lifelong friends, some more like brothers, he founded the “Pastime Gang” street rod group and designed a logo to display their association. Larry loved his family and friends and was relied upon as a trusted leader who would help anyone without hesitation. For his generosity, wide-ranging knowledge, and wonderful sense of humor, Larry was admired greatly and will be missed deeply by all who knew him.

The family wishes to thank the Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital nurses and the Westminster-Canterbury Rehab and Hospice teams for their care during Larry’s journey through the final phases of metastasized melanoma.

A memorial service, officiated by Pastor Daniel Mackey, was held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, at Rosewood Memorial Park, 631 N. Witchduck Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23462. A reception followed at Princess Anne Plaza Baptist Church, 245 S. Rosemont Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23452. In lieu of flowers, donations to the church or to Southside SPCA, P.O. Box 66, Meherrin, VA 23954 or http://southsidespca.org/ would be appreciated.