January 14, 2015
Joyce Hilton Jones
Joyce Hilton Jones passed away on January 14, 2015 in Orange Park, FL. Joyce was born on January 27, 1942 in Valdosta, GA, to the late Nathan Hilton Jones and Virginia Jones. Mr. Jones was preceded in death by his nephew, Raphael Virata.
Joyce graduated from Florida State University. He retired as Special Agent in Charge from the Department of Defense Naval Criminal Investigative Service and also did contract work for the F.B.I. after his retirement. He served two years in the United States Marine Corp.
Mr. Jones loved football and traveling.
Joyce is survived by his loving wife, O.K. Yim Jones; daughters, Traci Lynn Bane and Cynthia Louise Kinney; grandchildren, Lindsay Michelle and Mallory Christine Bane, and Joseph Jeffery, Sarajane Louise and Margot Elizabeth Kinney; and sister, Vivian Faye Virata.
The family acknowledges with grateful appreciation the care and kindness of the staff at Custead Haven Hospice in Orange Park, FL.
Aaron and Burney Bivens Funeral Home, 529 Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park, FL 32073, (904) 264-1233, is serving the family.
I was asked by the NCIS to write an "In Memoriam" for Hilton Jones, to be published in the March issue of the quarterly publication "Gold Shield." John responded, "I would consider it an honor.” In John's own words:
IN MEMORIAM
JOYCE HILTON JONES
John Y. Roberts
J. Hilton Jones, one of my best friends since the ninth grade in high school, and compatriot as a Special Agent, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), sadly passed away on Wednesday, January 14, 2015, thirteen days short of his 73rd birthday. The first time I heard his name was when I was an eighth grade student in a Tallahassee Middle School. Hilton Jones had stood before his homeroom class and recited from memory "The Declaration of Independence!" From that day forth, all his classmates who ultimately graduated with him from Leon High School, Tallahassee, in 1960, held him in high esteem. Hilton then moved on to Florida State University where he majored in Criminology and was a member and officer of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. Hilton’s family was of limited means, and he worked hard at several different jobs to pay for all his college expenses. In the classroom, he was always attired in coat and tie. Hilton was proud to be the first member of his family to obtain a college education. Before seeking and gaining employment with the NCIS, Hilton was first employed for two years by the State of Florida as a probation officer.
Hilton and I both began employment with the NCIS in 1966. His first office was in San Francisco, Ca., and mine was in Charleston, S.C. We subsequently worked together in offices at Key West, Jacksonville, and Guantanamo Bay. Hilton was the epitome of the “Southern Gentleman," always proper and polite. He was an excellent investigator and subsequently, outstanding as a supervisor of other Special Agents. Never one to show his anger or raise his voice, he demanded and received excellence from those he supervised. He always retained his natural sense of humor which made for a good office atmosphere, and from his reputation as an excellent and fair person, the vast majority of Special Agents who worked with or for him liked and respected him very much. Hilton was a very fine representative of the NCIS and his liaison skills with the commands he serviced were outstanding. His skills in writing reports were unsurpassed and his work ethic was far beyond the norm. A short personal observation in that regard, in Cuba, my quarters were located on a hill above the base from which I could see the NCIS office in the distance. Every morning when I would get up to prepare to go to work, if I looked over toward the office, the building was dark except for Hilton’s office. He was there at his desk, at work. Wherever he was assigned, he was the first man at the office. In summary, Hilton was always very proud and thankful to have been privileged to work for the NCIS and put all his energy and expertise into doing the best job possible.
In closing, in his death, I must say that I lost one of the best friends I ever had, and the NCIS lost one of the finest Special Agents ever to carry the gold badge.
