Charles L. Jones Obituary (1938

Charles L. Jones, 85, of Normal, unexpectedly passed away on Friday, September 13, 2024, at Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Normal. He had a long, well-lived, and fulfilling life. At his request, a private family burial will be held at a later date at Funks Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association or a charity of the donor’s choice. Charles (also known as Chuck or Charlie) was the son of Ardith and Ruth Jones. He graduated from Normal Community High School in 1957 and Illinois Wesleyan University in 1961. Charles served in both the Army National Guard from 1961 to 1964 and the Army Reserve from 1964 to 1967. He was employed by Country Financial for 41 years from 1962 to 2003 and served in a number of senior management positions, including Vice President of Information Systems, General Manager of Property Casualty Companies, and Chief Financial Officer. He had a strong sense of humor and was known as a humorous public speaker. He tried to treat everyone with fairness and respect. Although responsible for hundreds of people, he never thought that anyone worked for him, but instead they just worked with him. He always displayed honesty and a strong sense of integrity. Charles had an incredible memory. Charles married Carol Orrick in 1963 and enjoyed a long, wonderful marriage which was easily the highlight of his life. They were privileged to be married for 61 years. Carol taught First Grade at Sugar Creek Elementary School for 30 years. Charles and Carol loved to travel together and visited over 100 countries around the world - Ranging from African safaris to Antarctic expeditions. Together they saw most of the things in the world that you might want to see as well as some things you might want to miss. However, they were all interesting. He is survived by his wife Carol and two sons: Charles Jones, Jr., Chicago, and Scott (Mary) Jones, Kokomo, Indiana. Also, he is survived by two grandchildren, Kyle Jones and Megan (Joseph) Gerardot. His children and grandchildren were a source of great joy and pride to him. Charles was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan and enjoyed attending games with his son Scott and grandson. He also is survived by a sister, Judy (Dennis) Rollins and a brother, Jim (Bev) Jones. Charles was preceded in death by his parents.