William Kent “Coach” Jones, age 78, of Auburn died Monday, November 2, 2015, at his Auburn home.

Coach Jones was born January 20, 1937 in Ohio City, Ohio to William Paul and Regina (High) Jones.

He married Mildred Marie Perry on March 11, 1961 in Scott, Ohio.  She survives in Auburn.

Coach Jones was both a teacher and baseball coach for 39 years.  He taught and coached in Vaughsville, Ohio for 2 years, Hicksville High School for 8 years, and DeKalb High School for 27 years where his team won the Indiana Baseball State Championship in 1980.  He finished his career in education spending 2 years at Canterbury High School in Fort Wayne.

He was a founding member of the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association from 1971 to 2012.  He was selected as the National Coach of the Year by NHSACA in 1981 and was inducted into the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1982.  He served as an Auburn City Councilman during the late 1980’s and was a member of the Auburn United Methodist Church and the Auburn Lions Club.  He also scouted for the Detroit Tigers from 1999 until 2015.

Survivors include:

Wife, Mildred Jones of Auburn.
Daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Pat Menzie of Fort Wayne.
Son and daughter-in-law, Brad and Stacie Jones of Bellefontaine, Ohio.
Son and daughter-in-law, Ken and Jennifer Jones of Huntertown.
Five grandchildren, Chris and Erica Menzie of Tampa, Florida, Amanda Menzie of Fort Wayne, Tyler Jones of Bellefontaine, Ohio, Madison Jones of Bellefontaine, Ohio and Hayden Jones of Huntertown.
Brother, Dick Jones of Horton, Michigan.
Brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Richard and Diane Perry of Convoy, Ohio.
His beloved cat, Snooks.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, November, 5, 2015 from 2:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Feller and Clark Funeral Home, 1860 South Center Street in Auburn.  Visitation will also be one hour prior to the funeral service on Friday from 10:00 to 11:00 AM.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 6, 2015 at 11:00 AM at the Feller and Clark Funeral Home in Auburn.

Officiating will be Rev. Stuart Kruse.

Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Auburn.

Memorials may be made to the Coach Bill Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund in C/O the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 700 South Main Street, Auburn, Indiana 46706 and DeKalb County Humane Society, 5221 US 6, Butler, Indiana 46721.

Condolences to the family may be sent to www.fellerandclark.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Feller and Clark Funeral Home in Auburn.