Gloria Holley Jones

Gloria Holley Jones

Gloria Holley Jones, beloved Nana, mother and wife during her 91 years of life, passed away peacefully in her sleep December 22, 2022 at Spanish Oaks Retreat in Savannah.

On November 19, 1931, Gloria was the fifth child of eleven children born to the late Mary Elizabeth Johnson Holley and the late Jasper Lee Holley on a farm near Wrens.

She was a graduate of Wrens High School and a member of the First Baptist Church of Louisville until she moved to Savannah to live with her daughter.  While living in Savannah, she attended Southside Baptist Church.

Gloria’s father wanted her to become a nurse. The summer before she was to leave for school in Atlanta, she met a young man at the Louisville Hospital where she was working as a candy-striper. He immediately fell for this young woman, asked her out and after a couple of dates asked her to marry him. She was shocked, told him no, and she had no intentions of disappointing her father by NOT going to nursing school.  She went on to attend the Henry Grady School of Nursing in Atlanta, graduating in 1951. She and that young man, Willis Jones, were married in February 1952, and went on to stay happily married for 55 years.

Gloria dedicated her life to serving others with her nursing career. Her first job was at the Louisville Hospital where she entertained her family with very interesting stories about delivering babies “back in the day”. She went on to become the Director of Nursing at the Old Capitol Inn for over twenty years in Louisville, Ga.  The final chapter in her long career was at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Augusta where she was a nurse practitioner, traveling to rural counties to assist untold numbers of people with her nursing skills and compassion. 

Gloria retired in her mid-60’s and took up travelling with her husband and assorted family members and friends in an RV. In addition to the RV travel, there were many bus trips around the country (USA), as well as travel abroad, and numerous cruises. She and her beloved husband (of the two left feet fame) even learned how to square dance!

First and foremost, Gloria was a woman of strong faith and belief in GOD. Second to this love was her love of ALL her family.  Many happy memories were made over the years at family dinners, family reunions and various holidays. One of her fondest memories was of her “brothers and sisters” gathered around the piano as the youngest sister, Sandra played and they all sang wonderful old hymns.

In addition to her parents, Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Jessie Willis Jones, Sr; and six siblings, Sarah Gay, Clarence Holley, David Holley, Jeanette Perdue, Robert Holley, and Sandra Norton.  She is survived by her children, Deborah J. Webb (Gary) and Jessie Willis Jones, Jr (Katherine); six grandchildren, Ernest M. Webb (Christine), Caitlin Webb, Nora Webb Nguyen (Johnny), Taylor Gray  Jones, Katherine Virginia (Ginny) Jones McCrary (Heath), Jessie Willis Jones III; three Great Grandchildren, Ernest M. Webb, Jr. Pierce McCrary, and Peyton McCrary; four siblings, Annie “Sheetie” Anderson, Lamar Holley (Bonnie), Shirley Reese (Temus) and Tony Holley (Gayle);  nieces and nephews, cousins and family members too numerous to name.

Serving as pallbearers will be Greg Holley, Mike Holley, Ronald Norton, Dennis Holley, Kevin Reese, and Glenn Gordy.

Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Southall, Douglas Norton, Steve Hall and Steve Purdue.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Baptist Church of Louisville, 101 E 9^th St, Lousiville GA 30434 OR to the Mt Horeb Baptist Church Building Fund, PO Box 563, Wrens GA 30833.

The family will receive friends at James Funeral Home on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 between the hours of 12:00-2:30PM. Funeral services to celebrate her life will be held immediately afterwards in the James Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Bill Cain officiating.  Interment will follow in the Jefferson County Memorial Gardens.