Stephen Deskin Jones, age 80, Richmond, died Friday (September 3, 2021) at AMG Specialty Care in Greenfield, Indiana. He was born in Richmond, IN on June 19, 1941 to Deskin H. and Mary Evelyn Bowsher-Jones and had lived here most of his life. He was a 1959 graduate of Richmond Senior High School and then graduated from the Indiana College of Mortuary Science in 1960. He earned an AB Degree in History from Earlham College in 1964 and a MED Degree in Education from the University of Cincinnati in 1970. He graduated from Ball State University with a MA Degree in History in 1984. Stephen began his teaching career at Hughes High School in Cincinnati where he taught from 1964 to 1970 and then taught at Richmond High School beginning in 1972. He also taught history for several summers at IU East in Richmond. In 1999, Stephen began teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Flagler College in St. Augustine Florida where he completed 15 years of service in 2013. Stephen owned and operated the Jones Funeral Home (formerly Jones and Placke) in Richmond for 20 years. He was later employed for 12 years by Historic Tours of America in St. Augustine where he was a tour guide and instructor writing the script for the tours. He co-owned for 20 years, along with his wife Betty, The Jones House Antiques in Centerville, Indiana. He was also active in Historic Building Restoration in Centerville and taught adult classes in American Antiques in Richmond. He also participated for three years (1994-1997) in his wife Betty’s Native American business, The American Indian, in St Augustine where he traveled to the Southwest to meet and buy directly from Native Americans.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Betty Steele-Jones; daughters Heather Ann Jones-Burnett (Phillip) of Orange Park, Florida, Heidi Mary Jones of New York City; son Deskin Martin Jones (Elizabeth) of Downers Grove, Illinois; grandchildren Alexander Burnett, Charlotte Jones, Josephine Jones. He was preceded in death by his parents, Deskin Hallard Jones and Mary Evelyn Bowsher-Jones and an infant daughter.
Services will be private. Riggle-Waltermann Mortuary is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial contributions to the Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) Foundation, 897 Washington Street #600005, Newton, MA 02460. The exclusive nature of this disease is inflammatory and it is degenerative with no known cause or cure.