Dustin George
Gaston Gazette
DALLAS, N.C. — A Dallas area firefighter paid one last trip to a place he loved on Saturday.
Howell Eugene “Gene” Jones, 84, died on Thursday, Oct. 28 at Atrium Health-Charlotte after suffering a stroke the previous Tuesday.
Following a funeral service at Dallas Church of God, more than a dozen vehicles holding members of Jones’ family, flanked on either end by police and fire department personnel, rode through Dallas, sirens wailing the whole way from the church to Hollywood Cemetery, where he would be laid to rest.
In the middle of that procession rode Jones, his casket on the back of the fire engine he drove at the start of his career. Before going to the cemetery, that truck brought Jones into the fire department one final time.
“Gene came to the fire department two or three days a week every week, unless he was sick and in the hospital or something like that. He came to every meeting and he prayed over all of us. So we as a fire department wanted to pay that respect back to him,” said Earl Withers III, fire chief at Dallas Fire Department.
Born in Gaston County in 1937, Jones was an institution in Dallas. He enjoyed spending time at the Dallas Fire Department where he served as Chaplain. He was a member of the fire department for more than 57 years.
The department even named a fire truck in his honor. In addition to his time in the fire service, Jones was a charter member of the Dallas Rescue Squad.
Jones also worked at Gaston County Animal Control and later transferred to the state prison in Dallas where he worked as a Control officer and retired after many years of service.
He also served as a dispatcher for the Dallas Police Department. He was a member of Dallas Church of God and adored his church; especially Pastor D.R. Shortridge and the Rev. Matthew Shortridge.
He is survived by his family, son David (Leah) Jones, daughters, Dorothy (Craig) Hall, Donna (Donald) Mulwee, Patricia (Steve) Frisbee; grandchildren, Joseph (Carly) Toney, Matthew (Shelly) Toney, Zachary (Kala) Mulwee, Casey (Cliff) Williams, Megan (Wade) Holder, Jacob Byrd, and Justin Jones; 12 great-grandchildren; and many wonderful friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dallas Fire Department Firefighter’s Fund, 210 N. Holland St., Dallas, NC 28034.
Online condolences may be made at: www.withersandwhisenantfuneral.com
___
©2021 www.gastongazette.com