The Reverend Nathaniel "Nat" N. Jones

The Reverend Nathaniel "Nat" N Jones passed away peacefully in Hagen Care Center on Friday afternoon, March 5, 2021. His wife, Virginia (“Ginny"), was with him at the time of his passing, and Nat and Ginny had precious moments together the previous evening, when Nat briefly rallied and they were able to express their love for each other.

Nat was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on October 8, 1925, first son of Nathaniel E. and Ruth Jones. Soon after his second birthday he was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the bone and spent most of the remainder of his childhood in health care facilities. He was left with an uneven leg and all of us who knew him remember his elevated shoe and also that he refused to let his handicap affect his quality of life. He attended Stony Brook School for Boys on Long Island. Following high school, he attended Providence Bible Institute which became Barrington Bible College, from which he graduated in 1954. In 1958 he received a Bachelor of Theology from Barrington. At Barrington, he met Virginia Button (Ginny) and they were married at Ames, NY, on August 19, 1950.

Prior to graduation, he worked in Christian radio from 1948-1958. Music was an important part of his lifetime, and he gave concerts in churches throughout his years of ministry. He began his pastorate in Warwick, NY, in 1959, and served additional American Baptist Churches [ABCOPAD] in Dover [DE], McKees Rocks, Gettysburg, and Malvern [PA], where he retired in 1990. He and Ginny moved to Penney Retirement Community in 2000, where they became very active in Penney Memorial Church and in numerous campus groups and volunteer activities.
While Nat and Ginny had no children of their own, they raised four children for whom they became like parents. Nat is survived by two of those children: nieces Robin Brame of Gettysburg, PA, and Sharon Billington of Coatesville, PA. Two boys are now deceased. Nat and Ginny also had about twenty-five foster children.

Nat will be remembered for his sense of humor, his faithful ministry through the years, but most of all, for his love and devotion to Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior.

A Celebration of the Life of Nathaniel “Nat” N. Jones 1925 – 2021 will be held at The Garden of Hope in the Penney Cemetery Penney Farms, Florida on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 10:00 am.