The family of Robert Major "Bob" Jones, III of McComb, MS, is saddened to announce his passing on June 3, 2023, at the age of 83 years after a lengthy illness.

Born in McComb, MS, to Robert Major Jones, II and Mary Agnes Cowen Jones, Bob was a graduate of McComb High School and the University of Mississippi, where he was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and The Down Beats Band.

After college, he began his illustrious music career working in the French Quarter of New Orleans as a member of The Village Singers folk group.  New Orleans is where his first son Robert IV (Robin) was born.  He then returned to Ole Miss to work towards his Masters Degree.

The first school lucky enough to have their football field graced with a Bob Jones marching band was in Amory, MS, where his second son Brendan Douglas was born.  The ever-wandering minstrel, Bob made a few more stops at different schools, becoming the Performing Arts Director at McComb High School and Band Director for Salem High School and South Pike High School.  He even did a stint at Opryland directing some of their country western stage shows, and although he had a huge collection of western hats, there is a question of whether he was ever near a horse, much less rode one!

Bob leaves behind so many who loved and cared for him, laughed at his jokes (over and over), sang with him, played music with him, and heard the same story a million times about how the young Stephen Stills auditioned to be in his folk group in New Orleans in the early sixties.  Bob turned him down because apparently he "played too well"….so the story goes, we believe Bob is responsible for the inception of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young!

Bob was always on stage, always the performer.  It was thought that he told the same stories once, twice, or ten times…this would make for long choir rehearsals at Centenary United Methodist Church!  And any time a local group needed a bass player, Bob was always ever-present to raise his hand.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Donald D. "Don" Jones, and Bob's much loved wife Jody Murray Jones.

Survivors include his two beloved sons, Robert Major "Robin" Jones, IV (Stacey) and Brendan Douglas Jones; his step-son Chris McCallum (Jennifer); his grandsons Devlin Michael Jones, Mason McCallum, and Easton McCallum; two step-grandchildren, Ashlynn Temple (Jonathan) and Taylor Gautreau; the infamous Jones Twins, his sisters Jane Jones Bultman (Norwood) and Lynn Jones Leggett (Chip); sister-in-law Melissa Massengill Jones, and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.

The Jones family would like to extend a special note of gratitude to Dot Coleman, Hospice Compassus, Camellia Estates, and Brother David Millican.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Hartman-Jones Funeral Home in McComb.  Visitation will be held at Hartman-Jones on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, from 10:00am-11:30am.  Services will begin there at 11:30am, with burial in Hollywood Cemetery to follow.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to Centenary UMC at PO Box 712, McComb, MS 39649.