[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10694]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF DR. GLORIA D. JONES

                                  _____
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 23, 2014

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I 
rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding and truly one of a kind 
woman, Dr. Gloria D. Jones. Sadly, Dr. Jones passed away on Saturday, 
June 14, 2014. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 21, 
2014 at 11:00 a.m. at Disciples of Jesus Ministries in Thomasville, 
Georgia.
  Dr. Gloria D. Jones was born on February 27, 1954 in Columbus, Ohio. 
As the second of three daughters, Dr. Jones was constantly striving to 
forge her own identity in her youth. Growing up at the height of the 
Civil Rights Movement, she was greatly influenced to fight for what was 
right. Her experiences during this time led her to question authority, 
and to measure her success only by her own grade. As she watched her 
father struggle to recover from alcoholism throughout his life, she 
developed a passion for helping others overcome addictive behavior. Dr. 
Jones considered this a meaningful experience that influenced her 
practice as a leading therapist in her field of substance abuse 
counseling.
  Gloria's steadfast determination held true throughout her academic 
career. She was able to graduate high school in only three years, and 
attended a local college to pursue a degree in Physical Education. She 
went on to earn numerous other degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts in 
Psychology from Columbia University, a Master of Arts in Health Care 
Management from Webster College, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology 
from Capella University.
  Dr. Jones served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and held the 
position of Executive Secretary for Martin Marietta Aerospace Center in 
Denver, Colorado. In Thomasville, she worked as a Mental Health Intake 
Specialist with Archbold Memorial Hospital and as a Child and 
Adolescent Coordinator for Georgia Pines Mental Health Center. She was 
a certified national addiction counselor and a clinical supervisor for 
the state of Georgia.
  Her crowning achievement, however, was the Heritage Foundation Inc., 
which she founded in 1989 in Thomasville, Georgia. This organization 
came about from a community outreach program which she designed and 
established to teach disenfranchised, primarily African-American youth 
about their rich cultural heritage. During the course of this work, she 
discovered the socioeconomic and psychosocial issues rooted in these 
communities, which led her to create the foundation to help young 
people overcome these challenges. Through her position as Executive 
Director, she was able to directly influence change in the community. 
Her vision and determination has bettered the lives of countless 
individuals and families as she developed more than ten treatment 
programs for addictive disorders, child and adolescent mental health 
services and prevention programs.
  Dr. Jones was also very active politically on the local, state, and 
national levels. She was instrumental in organizing many voter 
registration, voter education and voter participation programs, 
promoting political empowerment in the region. She and her devoted 
husband, Dr. Leon Jones, were longtime supporters of mine and I count 
myself very fortunate to have had the benefit of their advice, counsel 
and hard work.
  Dr. Jones was known as a community activist, educator, counselor, 
wife, mother, grandmother, and author. However, all of these titles 
could be summed up under the title of ``trailblazer.'' She pioneered 
and championed for subjugated youths, and cleared a path to a better 
future for them through her work.
  George Washington Carver once said, No individual has any right to 
come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct 
and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.'' We are all so 
blessed that Dr. Jones passed this way and during her life's journey 
did so much for so many for so long. She leaves behind a great legacy 
in service to her beloved family and to all those whose lives she 
touched and nurtured. She will truly be missed.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and my wife Vivian in 
extending our deepest sympathies to Dr. Jones' loving husband of 36 
years, Dr. Leon Jones, nine children, sixteen grandchildren, two great-
grandchildren, and a host of other family, friends and loved ones 
during this difficult time. We pray that they will be consoled and 
comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks 
and months ahead.

                          ____________________