Earl’s Obituary Mr. Earl Jones, Sr., son of the late Clarence and Genevieve Jones, was born on April 8, 1929 in Ellicott City, Maryland. He was the 4th born of nine children and predeceased in death by siblings Clarence, Elmer J. “Al”, Carolee McCroery, Lily Mae Brown, and Curtis. He was also predeceased by his best friend Edward Jackson, Jr. On Sunday, March 10, 2019,Earl Jones, Sr. made the ancestral transition from this life to life eternal.
Earl began his formal education in the Baltimore City Public School System. After graduatingfrom the historic Frederick Douglas Senior High School in 1947, Earl, along with his best friend,Edward Jackson, matriculated and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education at Winston-Salem State Teacher’s College (now Winston-Salem State University) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Education from the esteemed Morgan State College (now Morgan State University).
In 1952, Earl joined the United States Army where he served his country in Pusan, South Korea until he was honorably discharged in 1954. Earl and his siblings were artistically gifted. His love of art, literature, and sports were the main ingredients in the recipe for his success in life.
He used these gifts to develop himself and to reach and teach students in the Baltimore City Public School System. He is well-known for his exploits in building seasonal displays using Styrofoam and other material. His artwork has been on display at his home as well as the Baltimore Artscape Festival.
Earl was a loving husband, father, grandfather and advocate for families. His younger sister, Carolee,introduced him to the love of his life, Leila H. Smith. On July 23, 1955, Earl and Leila and were married and blessed with two sons, Ron Gerard and Earl Jr. Earl and Leila enjoyed over 63 years of marriage until God called Earl to his eternal home.
Since family was so important to Earl, he made manypersonal sacrifices to ensure the well-being of his parents. He and Leila took care of them for over25 years. His grandchildren were the greatest joys in his life.
As a doting grandfather, he never tired of amusing them with projects, his many stories, and jokes. Just the sound of their voices brought him great happiness, as he always told them “I was just thinking about you! I am so proud of you!
” Upon his return from military service in 1954, Earl pursued his passion for making a difference in the lives of young people and became an educator. During a stellar 32-year career as an educator in the Baltimore City Public School System, Earl used his gifts and talents to awaken a desire in his students to pursue their dreams with confidence. He instilled in them a sense of responsibility, a “can do” attitude, and the understanding that learning never ends.
He spent most of his career as Assistant Principal at several schools including Pimlico Elementary, John Eager Howard Elementary, The Arlington School, and Harford Heights Elementary School. In addition, Earl hada positive impact on many of his fellow co-workers. An advocate for literacy and a believer that “You have to know where you are in order to move forward”, in 1991, Earl wrote a geography book; Map Rap: A Fun Way to Learn Geography through Rap .
This was in response to a 1980’s National Geographic survey which cited Maryland as one of the leading states where people lacked geographic knowledge. He wrote this book believing that when you make learning fun, people like it and the lesson will stick. Service to community was important to Earl.
He believed that “Service is the rent that we each pay for being, not just something you do in your spare time”. In that spirit,after his retirement from the Baltimore City Public School System, he was appointed by former Baltimore City Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke to the Civic Design Commission. His desire to fight for justice for others led him to volunteer as a case handler at the Baltimore City Attorney General’s Office.
An avid reader, Earl had a deep love for English literature and world history. He was a human encyclopedia, often outperforming many of the Jeopardy TV Show Champions from his living room sofa. He loved sports, especially boxing.
Through the years his home was the place to be when major professional prizefights were being televised. He loved to debate boxing with his great nephew, Cyrus. Earl leaves behind to cherish his memory: Loving Wife Leila H. Jones; Sons Ron Gerard (Michele) and Earl, Jr. (Yvonne); Sisters Genevieve Matthews and Gladys Clash (George); Brother Joseph T. Jones; Sisters-in-law Mary Rhett and Sherril Jones; Grandchildren Jerard,Jacy Maddox (Pat), Jade, Earl III, Eryn, Elan, and Evan; God-Daughter Sheena Smith, nieces, nephews, and a host of family and friends.
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