Samuel Bacom Jones

Dr. Samuel B. Jones, Jr. was born in Roswell, Ga. on December 18, 1933 and died on February 9, 2016.
Sam was the only child of Samuel B. Jones, Sr. and Mary Bell Nichols Jones, and was predeceased by his parents and by his loving wife of 56 years, Carleen A. Jones. He is survived by his children, Valerie Hinesley (Bill) of Bishop, GA; Velinda Block (Branson) of Louisville, KY; Douglas Jones (Karen LaFortune) of Green Bay, WI; and grandchildren, Carleen Hinesley; Catherine Douylliez (Jacob); Cole Youngner; Bradley and Samantha Jones; and Rhiannon LaFortune. He graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn University) in 1955 with a BS in Ornamental Horticulture. He was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, and also held memberships in several honor societies including Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, and Gamma Sigma Delta. Sam was in Army ROTC at Auburn, earning a commission as a Second Lieutenant Armor, and was designated a distinguished Military Graduate. It was at Auburn that Sam met his future wife, Carleen Arrington, whom he married in June 1955. After completing the Armor Officer Basic Course at Ft. Knox, he joined the 510th Tank Battalion in Mannheim, Germany and served there for two years. He remained in the US Army reserves and retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel. Upon returning to the United States, Sam completed his MS in Botany at Auburn University. He then accepted an assistantship at the University of Georgia, and received a PhD in Plant Taxonomy in 1964. His first teaching position was as Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi. Invited to return to UGA in 1967, Sam happily spent the remainder of his academic career in the Botany Department, retiring as a Professor Emeritus of Botany in 1991. Sam and Carleen Jones founded Piccadilly Farm Nursery and Gardens in the early 1980's. The nursery is well known for hellebores (Lenten Roses) and at one time was the largest producer of hellebores in the United States. Over the years, many other plants were added to the nursery production including unique perennials, conifers, shrubs and trees. Sam and Carleen were awarded the Perennial Plant Association Award of Merit in 2005, and Piccadilly Farm received an Award of Merit from the American Conifer Society, Southeast Region, in 2015. His daughter and son-in-law, Valerie and Bill Hinesley, joined Sam in the operation of Piccadilly Farm in 2011, and Sam continued working in the business up until the time of his death. Dr. Jones was fondly called "Chief" by his graduate students and grandchildren. Sam enjoyed his family, students, gardening, plants, his cats, reading, and his John Deere tractors. The funeral services will be held Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 11:00am at Oconee Memorial Park Chapel with visitation with the family on Friday, February 12 from 4 to 6 PM at Oconee Memorial Park Chapel. In lieu of flowers,memorial gifts in his honor may be made to the University of Georgia Botanical Garden. Oconee Memorial Park Chapel 2370 Highway 53, Watkinsville, Ga 30677 is in charge of arrangements www.lordandstephens.com.