Douglas Ray Jones

Douglas Ray Jones went singing to heaven on April 16, 2024. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 3 weeks before his death. Douglas was born in Reidsville NC to the parents John Richard Jones Sr. and Betty Wales Stewart Jones. Living in the Bethany area he attended Bethany Elementary School and graduated at Rockingham County Senior High School in 1979.

Douglas started his music career at a young age playing the piano and singing at Smyrna Presbyterian Church.  In high school, he played saxophone, sang in chorus and played the piano.  Realizing his passion, he went to college at UNC Greensboro and got his Bachelor of Music in December 1983.  While he was in college he played the organ for Sharon Baptist Church, played piano for musicals, weddings, and many choir groups.  

He taught some elementary school as a music teacher but realized he wanted to get his master’s degree. In 1985 he moved to Lousiville KY to attend Southern Theological Seminary.  Doug quickly got a church job while he was in college and many other kinds of work.  He did get involved with the community musical theater while he was there.  After graduating he moved back to North Carolina in December 1988. He got a job teaching at local schools as a music teacher.  After teaching about 2 ½ years, he realized he wanted to move back to Louisville KY in 1992.

When going back he found odd jobs and taught private piano and voice lessons for a while until Doug found him a church as organist/music director at John Knox Presbyterian Church in 1996.  Then he started playing the organ and being the music director for Beulah Presbyterian Church in Louisville KY where he stayed until 2016.

Doug had many loves but musicals were one of his great joys.  He played for musicals in NC, KY and across the Ohio River in IN. He did some on stage performances like My Fair Lady (1993) at Clarksville (IN) Little Theater.  He did do a couple more on stage performances but realized being the music director was more of his liking.  He was in many musicals and also worked 3 years as a music director/composer for the children’s theater at  Derby Dinner Theater Playhouse (IN).

Douglas' day job was a K-5 elementary music teacher until he changed schools to try another adventure and teach orchestra to kids at Mayzeek Middle School.  He stayed there until his retirement which was during Covid. It wasn’t easy trying to teach violin to kids online but he did until he retired.  Doug moved back to NC and got a job at Vista in Danville VA.  He was also the assistant musical director at First Presbyterian Church in Reidsville NC.  He loved singing, playing the piano, flute and he really loved how the people embraced him openly. He really enjoyed being there at church. He did finally get to be a music director for 2 musicals and had planned on being a musical director in Kernersville but before he could, that’s when he found out about the cancer.  Doug knew a lot of people in many places and he enjoyed everyone.

He is preceded in death by his sister Lois Faith Jones and John Richard Jones Jr. The people he left behind are Bobby Roland Jones, Jacob Smith Jones, Henry David Jones, Judith Jones and Susan Madison, Cynthia Whitaker, Sandy Jones and Sydney Napier, Joshua Jones and Jeffrey Madison.  Doug had great nieces and nephew also great great nieces.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, April 27, 2024, at the First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Charles “Wes” Pitts officiating.