Frances Gaye Roberts Jones

Frances Gaye Roberts Jones, 90, of Rustburg, passed away Thursday, September 09, 2021. She was the wife of Henry Malcolm Jones.

Born Sunday, March 22, 1931 in Grayson County, VA, Frances was a daughter of the late W. Howard Roberts and the late Carrie Halsey Roberts.

In addition to her husband, Frances is survived by two daughters, Karen Sellers Moyers, and her husband, Chris, of Staunton, VA, and Cheryl Pillow, and her husband, Rick, of Rustburg, two granddaughters, Ayla and Victoria Sellers, both of Staunton, VA.

Along with her parents, Frances was predeceased by her sister and best friend, Uneita Irene Roberts Westergren and their stepfather, Garland St. John.

Frances attended Oak Hill High School in Grayson. She then went on to receive her B.A. in Elementary Teaching from Radford College, in 1952. While at Radford, she went on a blind date with Henry. He turned out to be the love of her life. Upon graduation, Frances went back to her home in Flat Ridge and taught while Henry finished up his degree at VPI. They were married in her home on December 26, 1953. They then moved to Pittsburgh, PA for several years for Henry’s job. When the opportunity presented itself, they moved to Lynchburg to be near family and Frances continued teaching for several years in the Lynchburg City Schools. Before their children came along, Frances and Henry enjoyed evenings spent with friends and a good game of bridge or rook. She retired early from teaching and focused her attention and many talents on her family. She enjoyed gardening, for years, there would be a beautiful bed of bearded iris and creeping phlox at the end of the driveway. One year, she and Henry grew a huge pumpkin as a surprise for Ayla and Toria, who were delighted! Frances was also an amazing seamstress. She made dresses for her daughters when they were young. The pirate and Red Devil Halloween costumes she created are still talked about to this day. Frances was also a great cook and baker. At Christmas, there would be a dozen different types of cookies, from elaborately decorated cookies to her favorite Hermit cookies. She also enjoyed playing badminton and croquet with the family. Simply put, Frances was home to her husband of over 67 years, her daughters and granddaughters. She was a gentle, loving, and a kind woman who will be missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of Frances’ life will be conducted at 1:00 PM on Thursday, September 16, 2021 at Rustburg United Methodist Church with Pastor Ray McGarr officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Zion Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Special Olympics Area 5, P.O. Box 1381 Waynesboro, VA 22980

Tharp Funeral Home & crematory is assisting the family.