FAYETTEVILLE — Dr. James Laurence Jones,

91, died peacefully at home on April 4, 2022, surrounded by his loving fa m i ly. He was born October 10, 1930, in Little Rock, Ark., to Albert and Mary Olive Jones who preceded him in death. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 34 years, Susan Jones, and is survived by his brother, Jerry Jones, children, Karen Beatty and husband Jim Beatty, Dr. Mark Jones and wife Cathy Jones, and Matthew Jones and husband Wesley English; stepchildren, Scott Matthews and wife Melissa Matthews, Amy Matthews and husband Mark Duncan; his grandchildren, Jessica Gauvin, Kathryn Hedden, Elizabeth Ryner, Amanda Jones, Tyler Jones, Olivia Strange, Nick Jones, Jack Duncan, Cade Duncan, Finley Matthews, and Orion Matthews, and by his great-grandchildren, Emily Hedden, Henry Hedden, and Stella Gauvin.

Larry will be best remembered for his distinguished career as a physician. After earning a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, he completed his residency in family practice at the University of Arkansas Medical Center. He proudly served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Medical Corps of the United States Navy from 1957 to 1959 on the USS Ajax. After his Naval career, Larry ran a family medical practice in Ozark, Arkansas, for eight years until 1967. Dr. Jones made house calls, conducted surgeries, and delivered babies for the rural community. This was followed by 35 years of dedicated service as a physician at the Health Center at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville until his retirement in January 2003. During this time, he also served as an Assistant Professor and an instructor at the University of Arkansas Medical Center. Larry was devoted to his church community, serving as a Lay Leader and Chalice Bearer at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He especially enjoyed his time ministering to the residents of Butterfield Trail Village.

Larry and his wife Susan traveled extensively, and he loved snorkeling and underwater photography. In retirement, he loved his garden and yard work, and he took joy in creating habitat for the local birds. He had a passion for Egyptology and one of the highlights of his life was his travel to Egypt in 2006 with his son Matt. He had a lifelong interest in astronomy and could calculate celestial orbits with precision.

A service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 4:30, on Friday, April 8, 2022, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to his favorite charities: St. Paul’s community outreach (https://www.stpaulsfay.org/give) or the Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch in Morrow, Arkansas, (https://teenchallengeranch.com/donate/). Cremation arrangements by Beard’s Funeral Chapel. Condolences at: www.beardsfuneralchapel.com