This is my father, Dr. Norwood Earl Jones, Sr. A World War II veteran and a graduate of East Carolina, he taught science for one year, then he was a principal from 1950 to 1966, and then he was associate superintendent of Harnett County Schools from 1966 until his retirement in 1981. He died of a massive heart attack just a few weeks after retiring.
It remains a bit of a shock that today marks 31 years since my father passed away. You can never know how striking events like that alter the course of one's life. Who knows what direction I might have gone instead?
But no matter: I'm mighty happy with the life I get to live. In some ways I was too young when my dad died for me to make clear connections between who I am now and what he was like as a person. The obvious similarity is our life-long work in education. His sudden departure from our world, about two weeks before my sister Allison moved to Chapel Hill to start her freshman year, left Mother in charge. She rose to the occasion and was amazing at making sure we were all taken care of, well-planned for, and strong and independent people. I don't count that as a change in Mother, but a chance for her to really shine.
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