Hank Jones

Henry Seldon Jones Jr. “Hank”, age 75, of Cape Charles, passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family, on September 23, 2024. Born on April 13, 1949, he was the son of the late Henry “H.S.”and Margaret “Maggie” Black Jones. An accomplished marksman, Hank served in the Army National Guard. 

Having lived all of his life on the Eastern Shore, Hank was an iconic seasider. He loved fishing, hunting, his Chesapeake Bay retrievers, and most of all, his family. He also loved his jobs as a farmer, mechanic, and aqua farmer. He was a pioneer of crop insurance in the aquaculture industry and took pride in innovating many aspects of shellfish production. 

He is survived by his loving wife, Leslie Hughes Jones; three children, Jeni Jones O’Neill and her husband, Mike, of Powhatan, VA, Kellilyn Byrd Jones of Richmond, and Henry Seldon Jones III, “Trae” and his wife Elisa of Eastville; four grandchildren, Claire, Nate, William, and Ada; and his three siblings, Barbara “Babs” Scroggs, Margaret “Peggy” Christian, and James “Jimmy” Jones.

A celebration of Hank’s life will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 2 PM at Doughty Funeral Home in Exmore. 

Hank’s love of the water and the Barrier Islands was shared with many military families through Freedom Hunters during annual trips to the islands over the years. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to FreedomHunters.org to help make more of these adventures possible. 

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.doughtyfuneralhome.com

Arrangements were made by Doughty Funeral Home in Exmore, Virginia.