Obituary of Bertha H Jones

Bertha Hamilton Jones (nee Bertha Smith Hamilton) was born on October 28, 1934, and died on July 15, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Florida after a short illness.

Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, she graduated from Hillsborough High School and then from Queens College (now Queens University) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Already a youth leader for the Presbyterian Church in Florida, she graduated with a Master’s in Religious Education from what is now the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia.

As a young mother of three children and a pastor’s wife in rural Tennessee, she taught first and second grade and Sunday School. In Missouri, she was active with the League of Women Voters and served as an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. Upon returning to Florida in 1974, she took on several professional roles with Neighborly Senior Services, including Case Manager, and Assistant Director. There she served and cared for older adults to help them maintain their independence.

As a servant leader at Maximo Presbyterian Church and her retirement community, Westminster Shores, she held many leadership roles. A Deacon at Maximo, she served on the Mission Team and the Care and Nurture Team, mentoring and leading others as they worked to nurture church members. Immediately elected to the Resident Council at Westminster Shores, she worked as a positive force for change within the community and their health center.

A warm and loving Mother, she gave the gift of family to her children with many trips home to Florida to visit with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Highly skilled with needle and thread, she made clothes, doll clothes, gifts, and Halloween costumes galore. Creative with celebrations, she made many birthdays and other milestones an event to remember with special cakes and themes. A lover of chocolate and cookies, she shared that love frequently with friends and family. She was also a faithful and patient caregiver to many family members over the years. An avid reader, she was interested in learning about the world and needs around her. Throughout her life, she actively expressed her strong Christian faith through her care for family and friends and the larger community.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ronald James Hamilton, and Jessie Lucile Hamilton (nee Tilley), her brother, Frank Donald Hamilton, her sister, Mary Anna Ten Eick, her husband, Charles Chester Jones, and her daughter, Frances Ann McKay. She is survived by her children, Mary Beth Jackson (Don), Clifford A. McKay, III (Karen), Melissa Jones, and Michael Jones, and her grandchildren, Kayleigh McKay, Duncan McKay, Meredith Jackson, and Roy Taylor.

Her memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 19th at 11 am, at Maximo Presbyterian Church, 3200 58th Street, South, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33712.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Maximo Presbyterian Church or Bread for the World, 425 3rd Street SW, Suite 1200, Washington DC 20024. Thank you!