Cecil Jones

It is with a heavy heart and profound love that we write this tribute to a beloved husband, father. and our family's rock, Cecil Jones, who departed this life on December 21, 2025. Cecil was born on October 1, 1957, in Chester, PA, to the late Ollie Mae Thompson Jones and the late Timothy Jones, he was the youngest of 7 children. He grew up in Woodlyn PA with his siblings, Marcella, David, Connie, Wayne, Doreen and Ivan. In those days, Woodlyn was a little family community where he spent countless hours alongside his cousins, aunts and uncles. Every day was family day. On Sunday's, everyone attended Fairview Baptist Church where they all had to sing on the choir and engage in other church activities. Like the rest of the family, the Jones' were required to stay in church all day. Those were his mother's rules. His sister Marcella and brother David would always say, "the rules for them were different than the rules for Cecil." Even as an adult, they would call him "Ollie's baby," in which he would laugh with endearment.

In 1971, the family moved to Claymont Delaware. The neighborhood was lovingly called, "The Row." The Row consisted of many large families, including more of his cousins. Together with his cousins and all his siblings, they would spend countless hours playing horseshoes, all kinds of sports and of course, chores. As good as they all were at playing horseshoes, nobody could beat his brother Ivan. Sometimes his sister Connie could, but everyone else had to work too hard to get the win. They were a close-knit family that spent a lot of time with one another even as adults. The first stop in Chester was Marcella and Lewie's house. A few years later, the first stop was his brother David and his wife Poose. It was there in the late 70's that he'd meet his wife, Marlene. In those early years, life was truly a party every day after work. No need to address the weekends. It wasn't just about a good time with his siblings, for there were equally tons of fun with his cousin Vince, his cousin-in-law Sellers, his best friend Ralph and the other guys from the "Row." In other words, the "Row" was the same loving place as Woodlyn. In all, Cecil was a courageous, dedicated, loving and funny guy who touched the hearts and lives of many. But, make no mistake, he was also big on discipline. He was a man with a heart as big as the outdoors he loved, always ready to lend a helping hand.

In his early adult years, he worked in the steel mill industry alongside his brother-in-law Lewie. They were actually more like brothers. When the steel mills started closing down, he went back to doing construction, where he eventually ended up as a heavy equipment operator and supervisor. To us, our dad was a craftsman. Just name it, and he could do it. But his true legacy lies not in his accomplishments, but in the lives he touched. Cecil was our family's Mr. fixit, our auto mechanic, and our grill master-in-training. For us, he was a man of accountability, and dedication to his family. His favorite sport was football. He was number 23, running back for Claymont High School. His favorite pro football team was the Washington Redskins, known now as the Commanders. Wins and mostly losses, he stuck with them. When they lost, he took no phone calls. He always knew who the callers were too. He'd be laughing out of control when his phone rang.

After he turned his life over to Christ, his son Marlon once said, my dad is the only man who could turn washing dishes into preaching. No matter what questions we asked him, he could answer, but then he turned it into a Bible story. It would always take an extra 10 minutes, while we stood there. Walking away from him as he talked, was not an option. In all truthfulness, they were really words of wisdom. He was our beacon of laughter, love and strong discipline. Lord knows, he could fuss. Now that we are grown men with our families, we understand the lectures and all the fussing. He always said, his job was to raise us from boys to men. Funny thing is that his rules changed with the grandchildren. Suddenly, it was "his job to SPOIL them, and our job to discipline." Going back, he would always say, "if your mother calls me, then it can't be good for you." He also had a unique fatherly bond with all his nieces and nephews. He embraced grandparenting. He greeted each grandchild at birth. Even though their eyes were closed, he'd tell them "I'm PopPop." He lived up to it. We say no, their next stop PopPop. He was strict about church though. When Zaniyah and Nyshia had their turn, we offered no sympathy. Amor, Zaria and Maya got a chance to pick and choose when they came down to stay. Dionna and Rashaan had passed the test as little kids, so PopPop didn't bother them as they matured. He may have been the youngest sibling, but he was also the backbone after each sibling passed away. His relationship with his brother Ivan was always unique from start to finish. Everywhere he and our Mom went, they'd take Ivan. Sometimes it would just be Cecil and Ivan. Even with just the 2 of them, they'd have a good time. There are many funny stories we can tell, especially coming from his nephew Jabbar and his niece Jennifer. Make no mistake there were some disagreements along the way. But it always worked out for the best.

As a man of God at Mt. Zion, he served well as a Trustee. He took his duties at the church seriously alongside the others. Cecil was proud to be a part of the Mt. Zion family. Sometimes, we laughed when he came in late in the day from church because he would always say, "I don't know why I let Ronnie talk me into that." Whether he was cleaning up, ushering, working the parking lot or singing, it was always Mr. Ronnie's fault or Mr. Word. He had a special love for his Trustee buddies. The more he fussed, the harder my mom laughed. Everybody else at Mt Zion got a free pass. But, soon as my mom put that food in front of him, the problem was solved. She would crack up laughing too. Other times, she'd add insult to injury and say she didn't cook. That translated into going out to eat. Truth is, he loved it all. We always said my mom and dad had a very different relationship. As we each matured in life, our best times were catching our mom and dad laughing together. They would actually co-sign each other and both would be wrong. Although sometimes, they were right. They always had some inside joke going on. He would say, "there will always be ups and downs in life-it's natural-just ask your mother. As they grew older, we learned their marriage flourished because they finally decided to focus on the ups in life and not their downs--that included their past and their present differences. In summary. I want to say our dad lived a good life and we thank God for him, even when he's fussing. His favorite Scripture was Matt 11:28-30. Contrary to popular belief, his favorite song was "I Won't Complain."

Cecil is survived by his loving wife, Marlene, his 4 sons, DuJuan Young (Cassandra), Cecil a.k.a. "Mar," Terren (Lia) and Marlon, a.k.a. "Squirt;" 1 brother, Ivan Jones of Claymont; 7 grandchildren, Dionna (Zav), Rashaan, Nyshia, Zaniyah, Amor, Zaria and Maya. His extended family the Brunson's, Thompson and Jeffers. One great-grandchild, Gavin, as well as his extended great-grands. 1 Uncle, Willie Green Thompson (Dorothy) and 1 uncle-in-law Cliff Wilson. 4 brothers-in-law, Dennis Young (Michelle); Vergil Young (Janice), Robert Young, and Robert Jarrett of Terre Haute IN; 4 sisters-in-law, Eva Jones, Angela Herbert, Jean Sealy (Moe), and Charita Young. A host of nieces, nephews and cousins and loving family members. He was preceded in death by his siblings. Marcella Hartshorn, David, Connie, Wayne Jones and Doreen Walters. Cecil's love for his family and his courageous spirit will forever be etched in our hearts. While we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life well-lived, a life that touched so many, and a life that is now at peace.

To all those who knew and loved Cecil, we invite you to share your memories and photos on his memorial page. Let us remember Cecil, not in sadness, but in gratitude for every moment we shared with him.