John 11:25–26 NIV:

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die."

Alcedes Donald Jones, 70, passed away July 3rd, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The oldest child of Thomas C. Jones and Sadie Alberta Rawlings-Gray, Alcedes was born on October 31, 1953, in Washington, DC. He was raised by Sadie, his loving step-father, Joseph Everett Gray, his grandparents Ashby Smith Rawlings & Sarah Ellen Morsell-Rawlings along with an entire village of kind-hearted, God-fearing family members in Calvert County, Maryland.

They introduced Alcedes to the Lord early in his childhood. He regularly attended Mount Hope United Methodist Church in Sunderland, Maryland. By the age of five, he could easily recite the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm. At six years old, Alcedes and his cousin, Frank Sylvester Taylor, performed as a duet in singing “O Be Careful Little Eyes” at his grandmother’s “Morsell, Rawlings & Friends’ Day” annual church program. Alcedes was also a mainstay in the Laura Jewel’s Kids Choir as a toddler and the Mount Hope Youth Choir during his teenage years.

With six younger siblings, Alcedes had to assume many different roles and responsibilities. Besides being their “Big Brother” and “The Example For Them To Look Up To,” at other times he served as the Babysitter, the Peace-maker, the Problem Solver, the Mentor and as the Gourmet Chef with his otherworldly homemade cookies, cakes and yeast-rolls.

In addition, growing up in rural Southern Maryland, Alcedes resided on a farm where he completed numerous chores which included tending to livestock animals, helping cultivate the crops in the field, and operating a wide range of tools & equipment. The tireless work-ethic and the attention-to-detail mindset that were instilled in him as a youth would fully blossom one day, allowing Alcedes to become a most skillful mason, carpenter and a certified “busy-body” with a helping hand & giving heart.

Alcedes attended Mount Hope Elementary School in Sunderland, Maryland; the Mount Harmony School in Owings, Maryland; and ultimately graduating, in 1971, from Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, Maryland.

After graduating from Calvert County High school in 1971, he moved to DC to stay with his Aunt Marjorie. He joked that “he was packed and gone before his graduation cap hit the ground”. Not long after he moved to D.C at the age of 18, where he connected with and started to learn the masonry trade from his father Thomas C Jones a highly successful concrete contractor. And he met his other sibling’s and his father's wife Luther Jones, a woman who embraced him with open arms and whom he affectionately called his second mother. Under the watchful tutelage of his father, him along with his brother's Thomas Jones II, Demetrius, Mark, Samuel and Michael the Jones boys all became accomplished concrete finishers and were equipped with a skillset that has been passed down to the next generation of Jones men.

Not only did his father introduced him to the concrete trade, he introduced him the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, a place where Alcedes was a member for many years and most importantly where he met his wife Doresa Evette Stevenson at a church convention in Philadelphia Pa. After courting for 2 years, they were married on September 21st 1979. On May 18th 1980 they had their eldest son, Alcedes Donald Jones II. Shortly after, Alcedes moved his young family back to Philadelphia to grow his concrete company, a company that he kept until he retired over 40 years later. Alcedes and Doresa were blessed to have 5 more children, twin boys Thomas and John ( born in 1981) twin girls Sharina and Cassie (born in 1988) and their baby girl Oleathia (born in 1993).

While in Philadelphia, Alcedes made a name for himself as one of the premier concrete masons in the area. His experience, attention to detail, workmanship and over all love for his craft granted him not only the ability to provide for his family, but also teach his sons a skillset where they can provide for themselves as well. The number of projects he worked on are too numerous to count and he used to joke that “ if he had a dollar for every yard of concrete Jones men had poured, none of us would have to work again”.

If there was something that Alcedes was known for besides concrete it was his unwavering love and faith in God. Wearing his “Jesus is My Boss” hat, he loved to not only study and read the Bible and biblical history but more importantly give testimony about how far God has brought him from the days of his youth. Even when he took ill, lost the ability to walk, he never got bitter or questioned God. He said, “if it isn’t God’s will to heal me then at least let me be a example to others”. Alcedes finished his race and transition peacefully at 11:30 on July 3rd 2024.

Alcedes was preceded in death by:

• Thomas C Jones

• Sadie Alberta Rawlings-Gray (Mother)

• Joseph Everett Gray (Stepfather)

• Alcedes Donald Jones II. (Son)

• Boyce Valentine Thomas (Brother)

• Myria Antonia Gray-Thomas (Sister)

• Samuel Jones (Brother)

• Michael Jones (Brother)

• Cheryl Sherell (Sister)

Alcedes is survived by:

• Doresa Yvette Jones (Wife)

• Thomas Shawayne Jones (Son)

• John Russell Jones (Son)

• Sharina Evette Jones (Daughter)

• Shamell Cassietta Jones (Daughter)

• Oleatha Jones (Daughter)

• Wyatt Ecclesiastes Gray (Brother)

• Ronnie Derek Gray (Brother)

• Delano O’Brien Gray (Brother)

• Norris Dewey Gray (Brother)

• Luther Jones (Mother)

• Thomas C Jones II (Brother)

• Demetrious Jones (Brother)

• Mark Jones ( Brother)

• Wanda Jones (Sister)

• Sharon Jones (Sister)

• Sheila Jones (Sister)

• Rhondeisha Smith-Jones ( Daughter in law)

• Tamir M Smith ( Grandson)

• Nasir C Jones (Grandson)

• Jamil J Jones ( Grandson)

• Jamal T. Jones (Grandson)

And also 3 great grand children and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and loved ones.