John Downey Jones Jr.

Dr. John Downey Jones Jr., 82, of Birmingham, Ala., passed away on Jan. 14, 2011, under the loving care of his daughter, son and Hospice of Citrus County, Fla. He was born on Oct. 28, 1928 in Lacy, Ark. John Downey graduated from Drew Central High School and attended Arkansas A & M College, earning a Bachelor Degree in Education. He continued his studies at the University of Arkansas, receiving a Masters Degree in Education and a Doctorate in Education at the University of Mississippi. Later, he was awarded a Masters in Public Health degree from the the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). John served as Dean of Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Education at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He was Vice President of Student Affairs, Professor of Education and Associate Director of the Center for Study of Higher Education at Memphis State University. Dr. Jones was the first Vice President of Student Affairs at UAB, also serving as Professor of Education. In 1990, he stepped down from his duties as Vice President and became the Director of the Center for International Programs until his full retirement from UAB in 1995. He was a national leader in higher education, serving in leading roles in many national, regional and state wide professional associations. He was broadly involved as a consultant to other universities in the U.S. and internationally, including institutions in Columbia, Spain, the Republic of China, Turkey, Jordan, and the West Bank. In the Birmingham community, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Festival of the Arts and the Birmingham Music Club. He was a member of the Downtown Rotary and of Leadership Birmingham. He is survived by his daughter, Janis Wardlaw (Ronald) of Hernando, Fla.; son, David (Larry) of San Francisco, Calif.; grandson, Evan Sams of Perth, Australia; brother, Jimmy (Carolyn); and nieces Diana and Carol of Houston, Texas; and stepsons, Henry Cornelius (Staci and granddaughter, Hannah) and Michael Cornelius, of Birmingham. Dr. Jones was preceded in death by his parents, John Downey Jones Sr. and Addie Akin Jones; and his wife, Edith Cornelius Jones. Funeral services will be held at Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Rd. in Birmingham on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. Friends will be received in the church parlor from 12 noon until the service begins at 2 p.m. Internment following in Southern Heritage Cemetery, Pelham. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the John D. Jones Endowed Scholarship or the International Student Scholarship Fund at: UAB Gift Records, 1530 3rd Ave. South, AB 1230, Birmingham, Ala., 35294-0112. Condolences may be sent to: Janis Wardlaw, 1690 N. Di Maggio Path, Hernando, Fla., 34442 and are welcomed at JanisWardlaw@gmail.com.