LEEFIELD COMMUNITY -- Larry Darnell Jones, 69, passed peacefully on December 1, 2023, at the Ogeechee Area Hospice inpatient facility in Statesboro, Ga.

He was born in Chatham County, but was raised in the Brooklet area by his parents, Harry Norman Jones Jr. and Carolyn Martin Jones.

Larry was a 1972 graduate of Southeast Bulloch High School and he later entered the United States Air Force, where he was stationed in Shreveport, La.

He worked at various jobs throughout his earlier years. He retired after 22 years of fire service (paid and volunteer) with the Southside, Garden City and Bulloch County fire departments.

In 2020, Larry retired from the City of Garden City after 24 years of service and returned to work with them part-time for a year.

He served as an umpire/referee with the Greater Savannah Umpire Association. He was a member of the Brooklet Kiwanis Club until he transferred to the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro, where his wife was a member.

Before his health started to decline, Larry enjoyed helping with the activities of the Kiwanis Club, serving as the DAT coordinator of the Bulloch County Red Cross and as a member of the CAFÉ team through the Statesboro Fire Department.

Larry enjoyed getting up early on Sunday and Thursday mornings to cook grits for the Brooklet UMC and being known as the “Grits Man” by the youth of the church.

Larry is predeceased by his parents, his sister, Lou Jones Woods; his sister-in-law, Bonnie Lanier Rushing; and his stepmother, Barbara Saunders Jones.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 15 years, Patricia Lanier Jones; his brother and sister-in-law, H. Lee (Debra) Jones; his nieces and nephews, Lance Woods, Avery (Taylor) Woods, Piper Jones, Cadey Jones, Chad Rushing, Travis Rushing and Symone Dandridge; and his brothers-in-law, Jimmy Woods and Mike Rushing.

Larry is survived locally by his first cousins, Ben (Donna) Martin, Ina Ruth Smith, A.W. Robinson, Lyle (Robin) Kennedy, Mark Kennedy, Jan Kennedy (Scott) Shuman and Mike (Donna) Clifton.

His fur babies, Miss Kitty, Matt Dylan, Augustus Jack, Smokey, Bonnie Boo, Radar and Miss Molly will also miss him.

The family received visitors on Sunday, December 3, 2023, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in Statesboro.

The funeral was Monday, December 4, at 2 p.m. in the chapel of Joiner-Anderson with the Rev. Chip Strickland officiating. Larry was buried in Bulloch Memorial Gardens.

Pallbearers were Brian Hood, Gilbert Ballard, Mack Roberts, Gerald Ward, Lance Woods and Avery Woods.

Honorary pallbearers were Miss Finley Price, Coach Fred Shaver, members of the Bread of Life Ministry at the Brooklet United Methodist Church, CAFÉ Team, Red Cross Team, any past and present members of the Garden City Fire Department and the Bulloch County Fire Department.

The family requests that memorial contributions in Larry’s memory be made to the Bread of Life Ministry at the Brooklet United Methodist Church, 201 North Parker Avenue, Brooklet, GA 30415; or to Ogeechee Area Hospice, P.O. Box 531, Statesboro, GA 30459.

The family would like to express their appreciation to Ogeechee Area Hospice for the kindness and love shown to them during their stay at the facility.

Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.

Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of the arrangements.

Statesboro Herald, December 2, 2023

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