Extracted from The Town Talk (Alexandria, LA)
Monday, May 26, 1986

Ward T. Jones, Retired Lawyer-Executive, Dies

Services for retired Alexandria attorney and businessman Ward T. Jones will be at 4 p.m. today in First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Park.

Jones, 75, died Sunday in Rapides General Hospital.

He was a former vice president of CLECO and in 1966 was named the first president of CLECO's first two ventures in the oil and gas business, Louisiana Intrastate Gas Corporation and South Louisiana Production Company.

Jones was a graduate of public schools in Grant Parish, attended Centenary College in Shreveport, received a bachelor degree from Louisiana State University, and was graduated from both the LSU Law School and the Harvard Law School.

He began his own practice in Alexandria and later joined the firm of Peterman, Dear and Peterman. He became a member of the legal department of Shell Oil Company in Houston where he became general chief regional counsel. He was also an attorney for Continental Oil Company until he returned to Alexandria to accept the CLECO vice president position. He resigned from LIG and South Louisiana Production in 1972 to devote himself to family business.

He was a native of Winnfield, the son of Judge Wiley Randolph Jones and Nodie Smith Jones, and was the grandson of early settlers of both Winn and Claiborne parishes.

Jones was active in community affairs and served as president of the Alexandria-Pineville Chamber of Commerce in 1963-'64 and was active in other civic activities including Kent House, Rapides Symphony, Alexandria Art Association (the forerunner of Alexandria Museum), the Rehabilitation Center, Kiwanis Club and the administrative board of First United Methodist Church.

He was married in 1936 to Mary F. Caffery who died in 1967. The couple had three children.

He remarried in 1970 and is survived by his wife, Jane Adams Goodrich Jones of Alexandria; two sons, Ward Randolph Jones and John Caffery Jones, both of Houston, Texas; one daughter, Judith Jones Werner of Shreveport; three stepsons, Hart Latimer Goodrich and David Adam Goodrich, both of Houston, Texas, and H. Raymond Goodrich of Alexandria; one stepdaughter, Lucy Goodrich Frost of Houston, Texas; and 4 granddaughters and 4 grandsons.

Pallbearers will be Henry Townsend Hilliard Jr., John Caffery Hilliard, Donelson Thomas Caffery Jr., Miller Gordon Caffery, Clegg Caffery, Clegg Caffery Jr., Hugh F. Caffery, William Gibbons Caffery, Robert Caffery, H. Raymond Goodrich, David Adams Goodrich and Hart L. Goodrich, all nephews and stepsons.

Services will be conducted by the Rev. Tracy Arnold. Burial will be under the direction of John Kramer and Son.

Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.