Sam, 71, was the oldest of four children born to Neil and Dorothy Jones in Fort Worth, Texas. Sam was a proud Texan who dedicated his early life to protecting his country. Enlisting at 18, he served in the U.S. Army with the 2 / 75th Airborne Ranger Battalion before transitioning to the U.S. Navy as a Corpsman. He traveled the globe and served with some of the bravest men to ever wear a uniform.

Yet, Sam’s most profound service was to the Kingdom of God. A voracious reader with an unquenchable thirst for the Bible, he poured his life into others as a Sunday School teacher, Youth Leader and mentor. To his students, he was a pillar of wisdom; to his friends, he was a dedicated prayer warrior; and to his family, he was simply “Pops.”

He leaves behind a legacy of love survived by his beloved wife, Maria; son Sean Jones and adopted sons Valentin and Magali Covarrubias and David and Faviola Mendoza; brother Jim and Ann Jones; grandchildren Melissa and Jared Rogers, Matteo and Emma Covarrubias, Alonzo and Nico Mendoza; and greatgrandchildren Aiden and Temperance Rogers. His memory lives on with his nieces and nephews: Bethany and Jeremy Tidwell, Samuel and Jordyn Jones, Ashleigh and Jordan Bass, Joshua and Ashley Jones, Alexandria Jones, Chuck Jones, Vicky Jones, Chloe and Conrad Curtis, Corey Baxter; his great nieces and nephews: Addison, Grant, Aiden, Alexia, Claire, Jonathan, Scarlett, Wyatt, Tiara and Chloe; and his aunt Lana Sue Byrom.

He was preceded into Heaven by his parents, Neil and Dorothy Jones, brother Tom Jones, sister Suzanne Jones Lantrip and his youngest son, Eric Jones.

Please join us to celebrate Sam’s victory and life at Freedom Church Denton (Zera Coffee & Events), 420 East McKinney Street, Denton, Texas, on December 14, 2025, at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Denton Freedom House at dentonfreedomhouse.org.