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Former Central Point mayor dies By JESSICA SMITH Don Jones, a former Central Point mayor, will be remembered for his dedication to the southern Oregon town he called home, friends and family members said. Jones, 65, died Monday at Providence Medford Medical Center after a battle with bone cancer. "The citizens of Central Point admired him for his community service, his honesty and his dedication to our city," said Jones's sister, Judy Davis. "He'll truly be missed." A service for Jones is planned at 1 p.m. Friday at the Perl Funeral Home in Siskiyou Memorial Park. Rev. Bob Gass will officiate. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon Friday. Jones served as Central Point mayor from 1981 to 1990. He also owned and operated the Fair City Market. During his tenure as mayor, Jones worked to update a plan for the City Hall and helped revise the city's charter. Jones also served on the League of Oregon Cities board of directors. "People thought he was pretty feisty and he was," said former Medford Mayor Jerry Lausmann, who worked with Jones on the League of Oregon Cities board. "But in my estimation, he did a real good job as mayor." Jones made an unsuccessful write-in bid for the mayor's seat in 1996, after challenging city officials who had fired former planning director Dave Kucera. "Don was an excellent mayor," said Kucera, who worked with Jones during the former mayor's 10-year career. "People always came first. There was no doubt about that." Jones was born Oct. 19, 1934, in Hattiesburg, Miss. He moved to the Rogue Valley in 1952, when he began working at the Big Y in Medford. In 1954, he married Marlene Parsley of Phoenix. The couple later moved to California, but returned to Oregon in 1969. Jones built the Fair City Market in 1977. Jones is survived by his wife; father, Virgil Jones; daughter, Lisa Baker of Medford; and sons Rick Jones of Medford, Steven Jones of Carmichael, Calif., and Greg Jones of Central Point. Other survivors include seven grandchildren and three sisters: Davis of Central Point and Betty Sanger and Shirley Rasmussen of Medford. He was preceded in death by his mother, Virgie Jones, and his brother, Virgil Jones. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA