Roll Call Tribute

Charles Edwin Jones 

May 3, 1937 - February 27, 2024 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Charles Edwin Jones. Charles was born on May 3, 1937 in Arlington, TX to Otto Elmo Jones and Ruby Nell Jones and passed away on February 27, 2024.

Charles’ family owned and operated the County Line Service Station in Grand Prairie, TX. Not only was this the family business, it was also their home, as space in the rear of the station served as living quarters. A new house was built close to the station and the family moved. The new home is where Charles spent the rest of his childhood and teenage years as he progressed through the Grand Prairie school system and graduated in 1955 from Grand Prairie High School. After graduation, Charles enrolled in Arlington State College for two years before transferring to Texas A&M University where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 1959. While Charles was a student at A&M he married Shirley Ann Lawson in January 1958. A year later, in January 1959, the couple celebrated the arrival of their son, Key Randall Jones.

Charles worked for a handful of architectural firms before establishing his own Dallas based practice in 1974. Charles was a talented architect and was admired by clients and contractors along with members of the trades. All clients received the same professional service no matter the size of the job. Many clients were repeat customers, which is unusual in the architectural profession. They were repeat customers because Charles was honest, a problem solver, he worried about the details and was an equal contributing team member as he valued others’ experience and expertise. These traits resulted in clients who said that Charles’ designs not only met their requirements, but the solution also went well beyond their highest expectations. Charles continued to work well into his 80s until Parkinson’s Disease robbed him of that joy.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Shirley. He is survived by his sister, Vida Fay Bearden of Grand Prairie, numerous nieces and nephews, and his son, Key Randall Jones of Dallas. Donations in Charles’ name may be made to The Parkinson’s Foundation or The Michael J. Fox Foundation or The Parkinson’s Voice Project.