Oct. 14, 1941 – May 12, 2021
On May 12, 2021 at 5:25 a.m. God opened the heavens and took home one of his treasured Angels. Gloria Jean Jones, 79, passed into her loving father’s arms while surrounded by her family in St. George, Utah.
Gloria was born in Gonzalez, California on Oct. 14, 1941, to Parents Timoteo Lupio and Mary Helen Toloy. She was born the sixth child of eight siblings – six sisters and two brothers. At age 11, with her mother’s unexpected death, Gloria and her older sisters had to grow up quickly and take the responsibility of raising their family as her father labored long hours to support them. Those responsibilities helped grow her character as one of the hardest workers and over achievers you would ever meet. This also instilled a sense of motherhood and protectiveness, that was unmatched.
This trial of life built an incredible and everlasting bond between three of those sisters, and a family unity that carried them through the roughest things that life had to throw at them. Gloria passed with those two sisters each faithfully seated at her side, holding her hands and whispering sweet memories of their lives together.
Gloria graduated from Salinas Union High School, in Salinas California with high honors in 1959. Excellence in Gregg Shorthand (100) wpm., business math and awarded Most Accurate Typist three years in a row. After graduating high school, Gloria took a position at the Bell Telephone Company in Seaside California. Working there for three years, she then decided to pursue a career with the U.S. Government working at The Defense Language Institute at Ford Ord Military Base in Fort Ord California.
Due to her hard work ethic and excellent typing and memory skills, she was commissioned to lead the department in writing procedures for language translations through the Magnetic Tape Selective Typewriter. As a personal specialist, she would enter in English what the machine would translate into German.
Mom met Paul Lyle Jones, and after dating for some time, they were married on Aug. 5, 1961. Paul and Gloria had three children: Timothy Lyle Jones (The Perfect Child), Ronald Lee Jones (The Troublemaker), and Sherry Marie Jones (The Spoiled One). These kids grew to love their mom with a fierceness that is unrivaled.
Gloria raised her kids all while holding down her fulltime job with the government, and yet never missed a single sporting event, Scout activity, Christmas concert or school play, or any other important event in her children’s lives. Up until her bout with cancer, you would often find Gloria cheering on her grandchildren at their football, basketball and baseball games.
When the family left Monterey, California and relocated to Hurricane, Utah, in 1977, Gloria retired from the U.S. Government and was excited to become a full time stay at home mom. This was short lived however, as she soon found her busy body personality did not bode well with sitting at home waiting for kids to get home from school. She applied for a position with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (Arizona Strip Office) in St. George, Utah. Gloria made many great friends in her years with the B.L.M., Michelle, Melanie and Doris some of her closest.
Mom loved her family deeply. She was so proud of her children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments. You could always hear her cheering and yelling at high school graduations. She never missed a single one. She loved the outdoors, and always loved our firewood cutting trips, fishing at Kolob, and the family deer camp. Being Filipino and raised on the ocean in California, seafood was a way of life for mom. She was well known at the seafood buffet in Mesquite.
Gloria had an open-door policy for her children’s friends. It was nothing for Moms kids to have five to 10 friends and cousins from out of state, spend the summer at our home. Feeding and beating teenagers as needed, she loved all of them. Many would return each summer, just because mom made them feel so special. She created an atmosphere in her home where all who entered felt welcome and important.
Gloria is survived by her children: Tim Jones of Hurricane, Utah, Ron and Monterey Jones of Hurricane, Utah, and Sherry Jones of LaVerkin, Utah; her two Faithful Sisters and best friends: Margie Morris of Salinas, California and Eva Rey of El Paso, Texas.
She is also survived by 17 grandchildren who absolutely adored her: Timothy, Daniel, David, Sammi, Savannah, Kyle, Kade, Cheyenne, Jake, Mesa, Sophia, Kanon, Misty, Cody, Brianna, and Brittany; and nine great grandchildren: Elliott, Lucia, Dax, Beckett, Koda, Maylee, Braven, Jaydin and Asher.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Timoteo and Mary Toloy, John Paul and Carrie Jones; her husband, Paul Lyle Jones; her siblings: Mary Elizabeth Epistola, Mary Helen Enosaran, Timoteo Toloy, Robert Toloy, Graci Stevens; brothers-in-law: J.P. Jones, Douglas Jones; her granddaughter, Sierra Jones; and her faithful dog, YZ.
There will be a Celebration of Life on Saturday May 22, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. at 2444 South 1500 West, Hurricane, Utah. An opportunity to reminisce and reflect.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, 435-673-4221. Visit Metcalf Mortuary’s website at www.metcalfmortuary.com for condolences, complete obituary and funeral listings.