Melvin L Jones

Former Arizona resident Melvin L Jones 86, died in Gilbert, Arizona. At his request, no funeral will be held. There will be a small in-person memorial service. Mr. Jones was born Dec. 24, 1934, in Lynchburg, VA., to Napoleon Jones and Nannie (Hemmings) Jones. Melvin was the 12th child of twelve. After graduating from Dunbar High School, Melvin served in the United States Air Force as a electrical technician. He was stationed in Oklahoma City where he met and married Ruth Dean Dabney. It was at this point he focused on living a christian life of prayer activated by faith. After the birth of their two sons Diej and Keith Jones, they moved to Riverside California in 1964 where he attended the Riverside Church while working in the civil service field. In Riverside, they introduced their third child Tori Jones. Melvin then moved his family to San Diego in 1968. He worked at the Navel Ocean System Center (NOSC) and attended the 31st Street 7th-Day Adventist Church. In 2000, he and Ruth retired and moved to Gilbert Arizona to be near their son Keith and to better assist their daughter who acquired multiple sclerosis. He served at the South Mountain and Apache Junction 7th Day Adventist Churches. He and Ruth built their retirement home in Gilbert, Arizona and enjoyed years there together with family, wonderful neighbors, and friends. Melvin spent tireless years administering to his wife and daughter through their individual health issues. Melvin was preceded in death by his daughter Tori Jones and wife Ruth Jones. He enjoyed watching his grandchildren play tennis, basketball, golf, and volleyball. He watched the LA Lakers, worked on house projects, served at the church, and mentored to all. He enjoyed family gatherings. He really enjoyed talking with his sister Arneatha as they teased who was the better looking. He had a network of friends (they all know who they are - special) with which he shared individualized weekly, monthly, and yearly conversations; truly too many to mention. Melvin the laid back reserve and Ruth out-going social-lite, were a pair, they had countless friends gathered from Lynchburg, Oklahoma, California, and Arizona. Melvin was always less concerned about himself while being selfless to all he came in contact with. He is survived by his sister Edith Haywood and Arneatha Roberts of West Palm Beach, Florida;sons Diej and Keith Jones; daughter-in-law Melanie Jones; daughter-in-law Trina Tostenson; grand-children Dieja Tostenson, Kobe, Kodah, and Melody Jones. Condolences may be entered on this gathering site above or sent to 1900 W Chandler Bl Ste 15-309, Chandler AZ 85224. Keith's Prayer... I thank you God for giving me my earthly father Melvin Jones. He was my everything... he was my all and all. If he wasn't my father, i would want to be in his network of close friends. He pointed the finger on all that is in error and guided me to all correctness. He gave me a ton of confidence. Yes, you blessed me with the best. His fathering was real - truly deeper than largest ocean, wider than that lake and taller than than that tiny empire state. "This is my son", he would always say when I was with him. I am very satisfied that you blessed me with my poppie. I thank you that you made him trustworthy, dependable, intelligent, generous, strong, humorous, and loving. He demonstrated these qualities to me and with everyone he met. He served, helped, cared for, babysat, mentored, coached, consulted, fathered, administered, parented, visited, joked, designed and so much more. I owe him everything I have. I thank you for blessing my life with this type of dad. He is the reason I know you God. I am pleased that you allow me to say these words to him all during his life - he knew how I felt. His body is no longer with me, but his spirit is everlasting. The day I graduated from University, I handed him my diploma. I said, "this is yours Doc. I did it for you". I grew much taller that he, but I always looked up to him. He kept is privacy that only a father can do, never stooped to be a less than a father, but shared with me the nuggets of importance. It not all roses... I was restricted from being there with him under medical care (...pandemic regulations) - thats tough, it hurts - a wound for life. I thank you God for this man. He my dad; my ace; my Doc; my Dude; my jack-of-all-trades; the smartest man I know. This is my prayer in Jesus name I pray. Amen