Jonathan Brandon Jones' Obituary
Jonathan Brandon Jones was born on March 17, 1986 to Terry and Marjorie Jones. His siblings, Angela, Melissa, and Christopher were older and were quite taken with the blonde-haired blue-eyed baby who loved to laugh. He became everyone’s favorite. The Jones family lived in Ruidoso, New Mexico, a mountain community in a pine forest. Jonathan was an outgoing child and was constantly making friends with the other small children at his siblings’ little league games. Wherever he went, if he saw a body of water, he had a very strong compulsion to find a rock and throw it in. It didn’t matter if it was a lake, river, ditch, puddle, or pothole, if there was water, a rock would be found, and a small splash would be made. He would watch it with a look of satisfaction, and then go about whatever else his precocious heart desired, usually finding as many rocks as he could and tossing them with glee.
Jonathan was entertained by others, especially his siblings and his cousins. His cousin Dylan was born 2 and a half months after Jonathan and was his best buddy for life. No matter what the family occasion, if Jonathan and Dylan could get together, there was joy for everyone. They played, talked, bantered, broke a china cabinet, and did as much together as two cousins who lived far apart could do. When they were very little and would go to the Olive Garden together, we’d see 20 little fingers, each with a black olive at the end of them like little fingernails. If Jonathan was at a restaurant without his best bud, then he would entertain himself by making little helicopters with his silverware, putting the knife between the fork tines and using that as a toy. When Dylan’s parents presented him with a baby brother, David became part of the trio. The boys just loved being together and enjoyed playing around the family farm in Texas, where their grandpa would sometimes let them ride in the tractor or take them in his pick-up truck to look at the cotton fields. Other times, the boys would go to Dylan and David’s house for a few days or to Jonathan’s house where they played in the forest.
As he grew, he had to deal with his older siblings moving away to school. He showed the sarcastic wit that is a hallmark of the Joneses. You could count on a surreptitious bit of snark from Jonathan which resulted in laughter from those lucky enough to be next to him. Some memorable Jonathanisms came during the big life events. When his grandmother Ellen passed away, it was a hard time for everyone. We started shelling pecans as it was a constant activity at the farm. Jonathan took to his dramatic, funny self and saying in his best southern old lady voice, “Can I offer you some pecans during these troubling times?” He always had the ability to make people smile through their saddest moments.
He attended Nob Hill and White Mountain Elementary schools in Ruidoso. During the winter, he enjoyed the ski days where they would eat burritos on the way up to the mountain and have a fun half day on the slopes.
When the family moved to Lakeland, Jonathan was in middle school and had a difficult time adjusting until he made a group of friends that he treasured and enjoyed the rest of his life. He joined band and drama and enjoyed being able to express the artistic side of himself. Early in his freshmen year at George Jenkins High School, he tried to impress his newfound friends one morning by running and sliding spreadeagle through a large puddle on the school grounds. His father received a call from the principal telling him to come pick up Jonathan because was sitting in his office dripping all over his floor. The ride back home was somber as Jonathan knew there was a severe punishment coming. His father certainly delivered by telling him to confine any future swan diving experiences to swimming pools.
After graduation from George Jenkins High School, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville where he took classes towards his Biology major, eventually graduating from the University of Central Florida. During his time at UF, he lost some of his joy and fell into a depression. He struggled with depression for several years. Ultimately, he sought help with a therapist, finally finding the one who was able to help him through this dark time. He spent a lot of this time temping in the summers at WellCare Health Plans where his sister worked. Eventually he was able to get a job permanently with the Product Materials team working on the Annual Notice of Changes Programming team. This team for the final 2 years of his life were a second family to Jonathan, helping rebuild his confidence and reminding him of how bright he was and how much he loved being part of a team.
Through his therapy, work, friendships, family, and his new focus on getting fit, he was able to regain the joy that he had in childhood. He was able to remain at the top of his performance despite the growth of the tumor that all too quickly claimed his life.
He loved Halloween Horror Nights, Dungeons and Dragons, video games, riding roller coasters with arms raised, and singing along with literally any song playing at the moment from the time he could talk. Jonathan enjoyed the multiple vacations he had taken with his family and had developed a love of music festivals with his friends, especially Electric Forest which he spoke of with an almost reverence.
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon and be gracious to you;
The lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
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