Edmond Carroll Jones was born on March 1, 1942 in Colerain, North Carolina, a tiny rural hamlet in Eastern North Carolina, where he grew up supporting his family's tobacco and peanut farm, excelling at sports and school, and doing a fair share of hell raising. He recalled fondly playing on a semi-pro baseball team with his father, where he said he got to play with the young Catfish Hunter. Ed's life-long love of nature was rooted in his country upbringing that included lots of hunting and fishing and long hours working outdoors on the farm with his parents and sister, Kay, and brother, Roger.

At 18 Ed enlisted in the U.S. Army to, by his own admission, avoid jail time for speeding and other traffic code violations and escape the back breaking and financially difficult farm life. He also wanted to see the world, and he did. Ed began his military service as a communications specialist and lineman. He was recruited to serve in the U.S Army Europe League based in Vincenza, Italy where he played baseball as part of the Army's semi-pro league before being deployed to Okinawa and eventually to Vietnam as part of a special forces unit serving the the First Air Cavalry Division.

After two hard combat tours of Vietnam, he returned to the US where he met his soon to be wife, Jacquelyn, who led art programming for the new Head Start program in Alabama. He said she was the prettiest, sweetest thing he'd ever seen. Ed and Jackie married and he took a break from military service not wanting to redeploy to war while expecting his first child, Donna. Soon after her birth in 1969, he rejoined the Army and the family, including Jackie's children, Christa and Joe, moved to a post in Germany for several years before being reassigned to the Army's Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. Carnie, Ed's youngest child, was born in Germany. During his eight years at the language school he spent a year in Korea. Ed retired in 1981, with 20 total years of service and the rank of Sergeant First Class. He inspired Joe and grandson, Connor, to military service. Joe remembers speaking regularly with Ed when he deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and really appreciated those conversations.

After his retirement, Ed and Jackie followed Jackie's uncle, Jack, up north to Shasta County to start civilian life in the riverside town of Anderson. They longed for a small town experience and fell in love with the beauty of Northern California's mountains, streams, and rivers. Ed built a small gardening business, while also tending his own garden and sharing its bounty with friends and neighbors. Ed and Jackie became grandparents while living in Anderson and doted on and cared for Connor, their first grandchild, while looking forward to visits from the other children and their second grandchild, Lucy. They enjoyed criss-crossing the country on road trips to re-connect with family on the East Coast and many old military friends who lived scattered across the U.S. As Jackie developed a severe and chronic health issue in her mid 50's, Ed rose to the role of primary caregiver. His last grandchild, Buddy, arrived just seven months before he buried Jackie in 2003.

Ed left California in 2004 to be nearer to his ailing parents and to eventually marry another Alabama girl, Marilyn, who happened to be Jackie's childhood friend. The two met when he came to Alabama to scatter Jackie's ashes and soon found solace and love in her company. Ed and Marilyn shared a fondness for gardening, road trips and the kinship of Marilyn's extended family, especially her mother, brothers, and son, Rob. Over the years they enjoyed visits from his and Jackie's children, including Gracie and T.J., the last of the grandchildren. Some of their travels included visiting Connor at different military bases and spending time with Ed's first great grandchildren, Gavin and Evelynne. When Marilyn developed severe health problems, Ed once again took on the role of caregiver for over a decade in their home in Chickasaw, Alabama. Marilyn passed away in 2024.

Ed passed on September 20, 2026 in his own home as he most wished after a rough 18 months. He will be remembered fondly for his quick wit, story telling skills, great cooking, bountiful gardens, stamina, and ability to get the hard stuff done. We are grateful that Carnie was able to be by his side at the end. Ed's family is so appreciative for the hospice care team that supported Marilyn and continued to check in on Ed after she passed and to the informal support network of neighbors, especially Robert, Holly, and Trish, and Pastor Dave and parishioners from the Chickasaw Methodist Church who looked in on him between visits from his children who all live out of state.

A memorial service will be held on November 13 at 2 pm at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home in Mobile, Alabama. All are welcome.