Edward Wesley Jones

Edward Wesley Jones, Sr.1924-2018

Edward W. Jones, longtime resident of Concord, began life in the town of Winter Haven, FL. He was born to Mary (Stroy) and Charlie Jones, both transplants to central Florida. He went to the schools in the village of Florence Villa, the enclave where the African American population of Winter Haven lived. Ed was one of a large and lively clan of nine, and he distinguished himself early as a student- athlete.

He went on to Bethune-Cookman College. The college, which was built on the dream of Dr. Bethune, to provide African American students the opportunity for college degrees, and to instill in them the value of service and uplift. Ed was fortunate to attend while Dr. Bethune was still an indelible presence. The lessons she impressed upon students remained part of his consciousness through the remainder of his life.

Leaving the cocoon of college, Ed tasted military life as did many young men of his generation. He underwent basic training at the Naval Training Station at Grand Lakes, IL, before setting off to fulfill other career and educational aspirations.

For a period of time, Ed took work in the hospitality industry. He earned a coveted assignment to help reopen a historic hotel in the colonial town of Easton, MD. His confidence and sophistication made him a ready leader. The job was more significant for other ways it would shape his life.

While in Easton, Ed courted Regener Wells, who was a hometown girl returning after completing college. They married in 1952 and began a family while she taught school in her home community. While Ed

influence his decision to adopt Concord as his family's home. Friends who relocated to the town from Philadelphia instigated the idea for him and Regener to visit the town and consider moving here. The prospect of a teaching job for Regener and a job match for Ed was sufficient to induce them to accept the invitation.

In his work, his church and his voluntary associations, Ed found a host of satisfactions that deepened his connection to the community of Concord. Ed found multiple ways to apply his intellect and his interests in extracurricular activities such as community mental health boards and fair housing committees, Town Meeting, and political affairs principally in the Town Democratic Committee.

Ed took great pride in the stable and loving home he and Regener created and the achievements of their children and grandchildren. He enjoyed enduring relationships with siblings and the larger family network that connected him to generations and generations who endured together and overcame obstacles to make the successes enjoyed by his immediate family possible. In remembering Ed, we honor his part in this grand legacy.

Services were held Saturday, September 8, 2018 in Trinitarian Congregational Church, 54 Walden St., Concord, MA
Interment followed in the family lot in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.