To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Obituary
San Antonio, Texas — Edward C. Jones, age 91, passed away on February 1, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas.
Edward C. Jones was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the son of Jesse Collins Jones and Marguerite Virginia Penn. From an early age, he demonstrated a commitment to education, service, and excellence that would define the course of his life.
Ed earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, graduating in August, and soon thereafter received orders to begin active duty with the United States Army in January 1956. Intent on continuing his education, he sought admission to graduate school at the University of Houston, where he was politely informed that the institution was “not ready yet.” Undeterred, and after declining more than six job offers from West Coast corporations, Ed enrolled at Texas Southern University. There, he pursued graduate-level mathematics, including statistics, and completed undergraduate coursework in accounting.
Later that year, his military orders were revised from two years of active duty to six months of active duty followed by seven and a half years in the active reserve. During his service, Ed attended Basic Infantry Officers School, taught ROTC cadets, and competed as a member of his regiment’s swimming team—an early expression of his lifelong love of athletics.
In 1956, Ed focused his professional search on the Northeastern United States and accepted a position with General Electric in Utica, New York, where he worked as a Design Engineer in the Countermeasures division. His technical ability and leadership quickly distinguished him; within six months, management acknowledged that he was being underpaid and awarded him a raise—marking the beginning of a fast-rising and impactful career.
Deeply committed to civic engagement, Ed joined the Jaycees in Utica in 1960. He went on to serve as a National Director, earned the President’s Award, and was honored with a Junior Chamber International (JCI) Senatorship for exceptional service.
In 1963, Ed accepted a promotion with GE in Huntsville, Alabama. At that time, he resigned as President of the Oneida County, New York NAACP. A newspaper photograph documenting his leadership caught the attention of IBM, leading to an interview and his acceptance of a position with IBM in Owego, New York.
Ed spent five years as the System Quality Engineer for the Saturn V Instrument Unit (IU) computer, contributing directly to the Apollo space program. His work culminated in a significant honor: he and his wife, Carole (Jeter-PV56), were invited to attend the contractors’ “Splashdown Party” in Washington, D.C., on September 9, 1969, celebrating the safe return of the Apollo astronauts from the Moon.
Following this historic milestone, Ed advanced through a series of management roles at IBM in Owego, ultimately serving as Site Quality Manager. He completed Executive Management Training at Northeastern University before accepting a position on the IBM Corporation staff in Armonk, New York, in 1972.
Beyond his corporate career, Ed was active in public service. He served as Tioga County Chairman for Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s 1968 re-election campaign and later sat on the Board of the State University of New York at Binghamton from 1970 to 1975.
Professionally, Ed served through 1977 as Manager of Manufacturing Technical Services, overseeing quality, facilities—including barrier-free environments—safety, manufacturing engineering, and chemical operations with worldwide responsibility. In 1978, he transferred to IBM Manassas, where he served as Site Manufacturing, Quality, and UYS-I Product Assurance Manager until his retirement in 1990. After retiring, Ed continued his professional service as a consultant to the U.S. Navy’s Signal Processing Program Management Office through AT&T.
A lifelong learner and educator, Ed earned a Master’s degree in Taxation from Southeastern University after teaching Federal and State Income Tax courses through IBM’s Voluntary Education Program. In 1990, he completed an Alternative Teacher Certification Program in Science and Mathematics at George Mason University, including twelve hours of graduate coursework. During this period, Ed and Carole spent a month traveling throughout France, including attending the French Open. Though they later divorced, they remained in contact throughout their lives.
After the divorce, Ed relocated to Horseshoe Bay, where he built a close community centered around tennis. A dedicated athlete throughout his life, he remained active as a swimmer, earning multiple gold and silver medals in senior swimming competitions and occasionally being recognized in local newspapers. He also enjoyed golf, reading, gardening, fish farming, delivering community lectures, and publishing articles.
Wherever he lived, Ed faithfully served as a Trustee of his church. His lifelong commitment to justice and community included participation in the 1963 March on Washington; continuous membership in the NAACP since 1959; Life Membership in the United States and American Tennis Associations; and active involvement in Prairie View A&M University’s National and Metro Washington Alumni Associations. He also chaired the Prairie View Alumni Task Force, which led to the establishment of the National Alumni Life Membership Program.
Survivors:
Edward C. Jones is survived by his children, Angela Denise DeHart, a graduate of The College of Wooster in Ohio and a Family and Consumer Sciences educator with Arlington Public Schools in Virginia, and the Rev. Thomas Edward Jones, a graduate of Prairie View A&M University and Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, and Pastor of First Baptist Church, Chilton, Texas.
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Memory wall
Both of my parents earned master's degrees, but Dad earned his after retiring from his career at IBM. I admire the grit and tenacity that took.
I know how much Dad loved the photograph of me graduating from The College of Wooster. He was proud of my accomplishments. But as I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate his accomplishments after IBM just as much. Retirement did not mean that Dad was finished learning, growing, contributing, or pursuing something new.
I think I learned that from him without realizing I was learning it.
Now, as I approach what many people consider retirement age, I don't feel finished either. I still have things I want to learn. I still have ideas I want to pursue. I still have more to give.
Throughout his life, I watched Dad be of service to other people. He demonstrated that our knowledge, experiences, and abilities aren't meant only for ourselves. We can continue using them to contribute, teach, help, and make a difference for as long as we are able.
I believe some of Dad's spirit lives in that part of me—the part that keeps saying, Go ahead. Learn it. Try it. Do something with it.
Dad taught me that there doesn't have to be an age limit on becoming more of who you are.
He never had to say it. I watched him live it.
Being “the only one” was hard for me. Slowly—very slowly, as this 1977 photo probably shows—I began to embrace who I was. Today, I celebrate it, and I want to continue exploring my biological, family, and cultural heritage.
Dad tried for years to interest me in our family history. When I was younger, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. But something changed as I got older.
With every visit with Dad, I learned another piece of his story. I learned, for example, that the day he was supposed to report for his first day at IBM was the day President Kennedy was assassinated. Suddenly, these weren't just events in a history book. They were connected to my father's life—and therefore to mine. I found myself wanting to know more.
Dad believed deeply in preserving our family's history. He felt so strongly about it that he specifically stated in his will that he wanted other family members to know what he had learned.
I finally got Dad's lesson.
Today, I understand the strength that comes from knowing how you are connected—to your family, your ancestors, your culture, and the history that shaped all of them.
Now I teach AP African American Studies, and I have deliberately focused on learning as much as I can about our history, our culture, and our family—and passing that knowledge on. Some of the photographs, stories, and historical examples I will share with my students will come from my own family.
Before Dad passed, he knew I had begun researching our family history. He knew that I intended to preserve it and share it in the way he had dreamed.
He smiled.
I will carry Dad's passion with me as I continue learning and as I teach my students to understand the power of knowing where they come from.
It took me a long time, Dad.
But I got the lesson.
I hope it makes you smile.
I made Snoopy a holiday outfit, that I still have in some box somewhere. I use to wear his hat to school to celebrate the holidays because it is so BIG and makes people laugh.
I still have the tennis racket too - I used it in class with my students.
Snoopy, the tennis racket, but mostly the thoughtfulness of the gift has endured for years. While Snoopy is a bit dirty now - he still makes me remember, with fondness, the magic of the holidays we had growing up.
Family tree
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Service
One memorial service could never capture ninety-one years of friendships, stories, laughter, accomplishments, and quiet acts of kindness.
While five months have passed since Dad's passing, the need to celebrate his life—in communion with the people who knew, loved, and respected him—remains.
For those who are able to join us in person, the church and service information are provided below.
For those who cannot travel to be with us, arrangements are currently being made for an online, interactive service, so that distance does not prevent you from participating in this celebration of Dad's life. As soon as the link is available, it will be posted here and shared by text.
And please continue to share your photographs, memories, and stories. This gathering is one moment, but the memories do not end with the service.
This website is everlasting—just the way Dad wanted it.
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Together, let us continue the legacy of compassion and kindness that Edward embodied throughout their life.
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