Rickey Dean Jones

Rickey Dean Jones of Norman was born to Weldon Lee and Dona Fern (Yates) Jones in Quanah, Texas on June 6, 1953. He attended school and played sports in Eldorado, Oklahoma before graduating from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor's in Business.

Rick married his high school sweetheart, Carla Richeson, on Friday, October 13, 1972. They moved to Norman, Oklahoma in 1976 to raise their family. Rick worked for Great American for 37 years as a sales representative, helping Oklahoma schools with their fundraising needs. He made a lasting impact on many teachers throughout the state of Oklahoma before retiring in 2012.

In his leisure time Rick loved to spend time with his family; he was very involved in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He never missed an opportunity to play "42" dominoes with family and friends. Rick had a passion for baseball and took great pride in coaching his grandchildren's little league teams. He also loved to take the grandkids camping and attended all of their school and band performances. Rick and Carla always loved attending OU women's basketball games and enjoyed watching the OSU and Thunder teams play on TV. They also enjoyed traveling, and in April of 2018 Rick and Carla took an 11-day trip to the Holy Land. Rick had a great sense of humor and had a tradition of writing special "Birthday Poems" for each family member. He also enjoyed working outdoors, planting gardens and flowers.

Rick was a devoted follower of Jesus and shared God's love with everyone he encountered. He set an example of Christian love for his children and grandchildren, and he continued to share his love by writing letters of encouragement to his grandchildren even after they moved away to California.

Rick Jones was truly blessed and was a blessing. He went home to be with the Lord at the age of 65 on May 17, 2019, after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Rick was preceded in death by his parents, Weldon Jones and Fern Shelby. He leaves to cherish his memory his wife of 46 years, Carla Jones; son Marcus Jones; his daughter and son-in-law Amy and David Whyatt; grandchildren Miah, Benjamin, Daniel, Jacob, and Caleb; great-grandson Korbyn; brother Gary Jones; his sister Betty Mayes; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and loving relatives and friends.

A visitation for friends and family will be held on Friday, June 7th from 6:00-8:00 pm at Wildwood Community Church in the Gathering Hall. A celebration of Rick's life will be held at Wildwood Community Church (1501 24th Ave NE, Norman 73071) on Saturday, June 8th at 10:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, please designate gifts to the "Rick Jones Memorial" fund at Wildwood Church. These donations will be divided between two ministries; Grace Home OK, a refuge for young single mothers, and a Latvian children's camp that Wildwood supports. Contributions may be made via check to Wildwood Church or online at wildwoodchurch.org/giving.