CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF PATRICIA CULPEPPER JONES

Patricia Culpepper Jones was born June 29, 1950 at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida to Naomi Livingston Culpepper and Lonnie Culpepper, Sr. She grew up in a very loving household in Liberty City Miami where she was the youngest of six children. As a young child she was a very active member of the Girl Scouts where her father was the troop leader for years. While in Girl Scouts, she learned various skills, developed lifelong friendships, and earned countless badges, as she progressed to the highest levels of the organization. Growing up some of her favorite things to do was sing, dance, roller skate, and hang out with her big sister Yvonne. She even helped to start the junior choir in her grandmother Hattie's church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Growing up amid the birth of the Civil Rights Movement and on the heels of the Brown vs. The Board of Education decision, Patricia was the only one among her siblings to attend integrated schools. She attended Orchard Villa Elementary School and Edison High School in Miami, Florida. Despite having to deal with the uncomfortable racial tension in school, she was able to maintain good grades as she matriculated. In high school, she was inducted into The National Honor Society and was a member of the Student Government Association at Edison High School where she graduated in the Class of 1968. Being from a large family her financial resources were limited, so to be able to complete her collegiate studies she had to work to pay her way through school. She worked at the post office, Sears, and during her college years participated in the work study program. In 1968, Patricia chose to attend the Historically Black College, Florida Memorial. She was a member of the inaugural freshman class at the new campus that relocated to Miami, Florida. On January 1, 1969, she was initiated into the Delta Eta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She also served as the First Vice President of her Alpha Kappa Alpha Undergraduate Chapter and the Secretary of the Future Business Leaders of Florida Memorial College while being a young wife, working various jobs, and carrying a full load of courses. Patricia also completed internships with the Small Business Association and the Alexander Grant Accounting firm. In four years Patricia graduated with a Business Administration Degree with Cum Laude honors as a member of the Class of 1972 from Florida Memorial College.

In 1966, during a chance meeting through Patricia's cousin Amos Culpepper, she met a gentleman by the name of Nathaniel Jones. He eventually asked her out on a date, she said yes, and four years later they were married on July 11, 1970. In October of 1981, they welcomed Natashia Naomi Jones into their family and in August of 1984 they decided that their family was not complete and welcomed Nathaniel Patrick Jones, Jr. Patricia was an excellent mother. She made sure to give her children access to the best life that she and her husband could provide. She exposed them to people, places, and things that have given them a unique outlook on life. She took an immense amount of pride in being able to show her children the world.

After college she was hired by Burdines Department store as a sales manager and purchase buyer. It was at this point where she gained valuable experience and knowledge in retail, vendor services, and merchandising. In 1978, she got a new position with Johnson Publishing Company as a Fashion Fair Cosmetics Regional Representative that covered the Caribbean Islands, Florida, and parts of Georgia. In 1980 after her husband got a job in Ohio and due to her excellent work ethic and exemplary performance, Fashion Fair created a Regional Representative position for her that covered Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and parts of West Virginia. It is important to note that Fashion Fair Cosmetics is a company that targets African-American communities that was strategically marketed in only high-end department stores due to the growing demand for a cosmetic line designed for women of color. Patricia dedicated almost 20 years of commendable work to Fashion Fair and was undoubtedly a key player in their growth and success. After moving back to Florida, she worked as a Senior Testing Specialist at Seminole State College and retired on June 30, 2014.

Patricia loved life and she was a very hard worker, so she made it a point to enjoy the finer things and to share those experiences with her family. She enjoyed shopping, traveling all over the country and the world, playing sports like tennis and golf, as well as spending quality time with her family. Patricia was the epitome of success, and she embodied the sentiment "to whom much is given, much is required". She dedicated years of community service to church and various organizations with a high level of sophistication, dignity, and class from being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Kappa Sorority, Incorporated for over 50 years to being a Charter Member of the Columbus Chapter of Charms, Incorporated. She was even a Bethune-Cookman football season ticket holder in support of HBCUs. No matter her level of success, she never lost touch of who she was.

Patricia personified what anyone would consider to be a great wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin, or friend. Despite several serious health conditions over the years, with the love and support of her family and with an unwavering faith in God's healing power, she handled them all gracefully and recovered. She created a beautiful life filled with beautiful memories. She often said that she has had the best of the best, that God has blessed her to be able to enjoy all that life has had to offer, and when God calls her home she would be ready because she has truly lived.

Patricia adored her family, and she was grateful for the love and life her parents Naomi and Lonnie were able to provide. Additionally, she was thankful for the very special relationship she had with Mr. John Chaney, for he too loved her as his own. Patricia leaves behind her loving husband of 50 years, Nathaniel Jones, Sr.; her devoted daughter Natashia Naomi Jones-Vallot; and devout son Nathaniel Patrick Jones, Jr.; her grandchildren, whom she absolutely adored: Rayana Permaul, Johnnie Winston Cobb, and Jace Vallot; her brother and sisters, Lonnie Culpepper, Jr, Vivian Bennett, Mary L. Brooks, and Yvonne Smith; along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Greeting of Family and Friends and a Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at DeGusipe Funeral Home & Crematory, 9001 N. Orlando Avenue, Maitland, FL 32751.

12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Greeting of Family of Friends.
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Celebration of Life

The family of Patricia Culpepper Jones invites you to leave a message of condolence on the Tribute Wall created in her loving memory.