David Lee Jones

David Lee Jones, age 90, of Gillespie, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 23, 2025, at HSHS St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield, Illinois.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025, at Bass Patton Dean Funeral Home in Hillsboro, Illinois. Burial will be held at Camp Butler, in Springfield, Illinois. Military honors will be accorded.

Born at home in the country on July 21, 1934, in Hillsboro, Illinois, David was the son of Oscar and Eva (Randolph) Jones. He grew up in Taylor Springs and attended several area schools near Butler and Hillsboro. David was drafted into the Army during the Korean War, where he served with distinction as an expert rifle marksman. He was injured by shrapnel while in Korea and was medically and honorably discharged. Over the next several decades, David worked for the coal mine in Coffeen, ASARCO, and as a heavy equipment operator.

He married Sherry Matthews, from whom he later divorced, and raised their two sons, Jody and Randy, in his Taylor Springs home for over 40 years. A devoted father, David worked tirelessly to provide for his family. He was known for his quiet strength, strong work ethic, kind heart, and generous spirit. On March 27, 2000, David married Barbara House, embracing her four sons as his own and finding joy in becoming a grandpa and great grandpa.

Together, David and Barbara shared many adventures, traveling, sightseeing, attending small-town festivals, and taking ferry rides in Grafton. David had a love for the simple joys in life—spending time with friends at Cobetto’s, tending to his garden, and keeping a beautiful yard. A talented cook and baker, he also had a passion for photography, stamp and coin collecting, and working with his hands. Whether it was home construction, car repairs, or fixing toys for kids, there was little he couldn’t do. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and cherished his family life.

Preceding him in death are his parents, Oscar and Eva; his brothers, Ed ‘Bud’, Jack, Tom and William Jones; sisters, Kathy Altevogt and Betty Paisley; and stepsons, Jeremy and Scott White.

David is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons, Randy (Debbie) Jones and Jody (Debbie) Jones; stepsons, Rex White and Drex White; grandchildren, Kaylee Marie Jones, Kimberly (Mike) Blair, Jason (Jessie) White, Cheridan Blankenship, Michael (Samantha) Cole, Ginna White, Gage White, Sawyer White, Syler White and Saylor White; great grandchildren, Elizabeth Flowers, Hazel, Henry, Jo-Lonnie, Allayah, Tenille, Jeremy, Jocelyn, Makiyah and Jadah; several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be sent to: Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675.

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