Doris A Jones

Deacon Doris Jones has been an active member of Peoples Baptist Church since 1962. She has served faithfully in many ministries over the past fifty years. She has served as Superintendent of the Church School, Saturday School, Director of Vacation Bible School, coordinator of the Small Group Ministry for 40 Days of Purpose, in which 362 Peoples Baptist members were enrolled in 44 homes and church study groups. Doris has been a member and leader of the Senior Choir, Women’s Chorus, Music, and Nominating Committees, Fundraising Ministry, Nurturing Ministry as Coordinator and Section Leader of Group 4, and Assistant teacher of the Adult Sunday School class. 

  In 1988, Doris was ordained as a Deaconess. In this position, she served for many years as Secretary and Chairperson of this ministry. In 2006, she was ordained along with two other women as the first female Deacons in the history of Peoples Baptist Church. 

  Doris Ann was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina where she lived with her parents Joseph and Lottie Decatur, grandmother, Ola Hargrove, younger siblings, Joe Jr., Betty, and Victor. In addition to her biological family, Doris was also nurtured by her church family at Union Baptist in Durham. It was there that she learned to love the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon professing her faith in Christ, Doris was baptized at the age of twelve. She served as a Junior Missionary, Junior Usher, Sunday School Teacher, and she sang in the Junior Choir. 

  After graduating from Hillside High School in 1956, Doris attended North Carolina Central University and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology in 1960. Later she earned a Master’s Degree in Education and a C. A. G. S. Degree in Education Administration from Boston State College. 

  Doris worked at Massachusetts Memorial Hospital as a laboratory technician before joining the Boston Public Schools in 1962. Her career in education included teaching science at the James P. Timilty School for six years and its Acting Assistant Principal for seven years. In 1977, Doris was appointed Head of the Science Department at English High School. Doris was appointed as an Assistant Headmaster at Boston Latin Academy from 1984 until her retirement in 2001. 

  Doris was preceded in death by her husband of fifty years, Robert Louis Jones in 2009. She is survived by their three children, Terrence Baxter Jones, Sr. (Linda), Sharon Jones Phinney, (Peter Sr.), Michael Todd Jones, grandchildren, Terrence Baxter Jones, Jr., Amanda Elizabeth Jones, Robert Troy Jones, Peter B. Phinney, Jr. (PJ), Jordan Alexander Phinney, Jenna Gabrielle Phinney, Christina Nicole Jones, Teja Harvey Jones, Michael Todd Jones, Jr. (TJ), two great-grandchildren, Semiyah Harvey Jones and Zaire Jones. 

  Also left to mourn are her siblings, Reverend Joseph Decatur, Jr. (Johnette) of Duluth Georgia, Victor Decatur (Barbara) of Durham, North Carolina, and Betty Wheeler of Boston, Massachusetts and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and a multitude of former students.