Doris Joan (McFadden) Jones, 89, of Middletown, passed away Nov. 13 with her daughters at her side. Joann, as she was known to her friends, was born in Harrisville, West Virginia, one of four girls born to Glen and Violet McFadden.
She married Emerson Edward Jones of Pennsboro, West Virginia in 1951. After the Korean War, Joann and Emerson moved to Morgantown, West Virginia, where Joann worked and Emerson attended West Virginia University, earning undergraduate and graduate engineering degrees.
They moved first to Maryland and then to Middletown to start and raise their family. At this time Joann was a homemaker known for her delicious desserts. She was active in the Middletown Reformed Church, both in the Dorcas Club and as a deacon. She was always the mom who volunteered and was both a Girl Scout leader and a 4-H leader for many years. She ensured that her two girls had opportunities to follow their passions, with summers at the beach, dance and piano lessons and horseback riding.
After her girls grew up, Joann took real estate courses and became a Realtor and a broker. She was thrilled to make the “Million Dollar Club.” Real estate took a back seat when she became a grandmother of triplets (and then a fourth) and retired to help care for them.
Even as her health declined in recent years, she continued to live independently, enjoying her cats, watching the birds, loving her family and cheering on WVU sports whenever they were on TV.
Joann was predeceased by her husband Emerson and sisters Jeanette Stout and Barbara Doak. She is survived by daughters Tamra Tompkins and Sandra Jones, son-in-law Brian Tompkins, grandsons Phillip Tompkins, Andrew Tompkins, Douglas Tompkins and Patrick Tompkins and sister Camilla Gatrell, as well as many nieces and nephews.
There will be a private burial at Fairview Cemetery Nov. 27.
In lieu of flowers, anyone wanting to celebrate Joann’s life is asked to donate to the area of greatest need at WVU Statler School of Engineering atgive.wvu.edu/statler or to a charity of your choosing.
The article originally appeared in the November 26 – December 2, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
