Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Dallas O. Jones, who served on the Southampton County Board of Supervisors for nearly four decades, passed away Sunday night, Sept. 11. He was in his early 90s.

He is remembered by those who knew him as a tireless public servant who was a humble man of integrity, loving the county, people, his work, his family and God.

Former Southampton County Administrator Michael W. Johnson, who knew Jones for nearly 37 years, noted that he was born and raised in Mount Airy, North Carolina, and married a Southampton County girl. He moved to Drewryville after he finished college and has been a county resident for at least 60 years.

Boykins District Supervisor Carl J. Faison said he was probably in the sixth grade when he first met Jones.

“As a matter of fact, when I was child, he lived next door to us,” Faison said. “He had a great impact on me. He’s always been a mentor. He’s been a model for me. I have so much respect for him because of his integrity and his intelligence. I was just so impressed by him.”

Johnson noted that Jones was a brick mason by trade who served as a building contractor.

“He was definitely known for quality work,” Faison said.

Jones retired from this work, but Faison recalled that as recently as 15 years ago, Jones had a client who wanted him to do a project for him because of the excellent standard he was known for.

Johnson said Jones was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1984. He represented the Drewryville District.

“He was in his 39th year of service,” Johnson said.

Jones served as chairman of the Board of Supervisors for 16 years, from 2004-20.

He also represented Southampton County on the Southeastern Public Service Authority for at least 16 years.

Jones had battled health difficulties in the last year that made it difficult for him to regularly attend Board of Supervisors meetings in person, but he still made the effort to be involved, and Faison noted that his mind remained sharp.

“If I had to think of words to describe Dallas — modest, courteous, humble,” Johnson said. “Those three words describe him as a statesman who always sought to determine what was in the county’s best interests and once he had made that determination, to actively pursue it. Dallas always put Southampton County first.”

Johnson said Jones will always be remembered “as a true and tireless public servant.” 

“I don’t know any other way to describe him,” he said. “He was just absolutely dedicated to the county and to its people.”

Faison said, “He was a great man.”

He noted that Jones’ legacy will be that he was a great citizen of Southampton County. 

“He loved the county, he loved people, he loved his work, he was a great Christian, a man of integrity, he loved his family,” Faison said. “He was so instrumental in so many lives of the citizens of Southampton County. I think he’ll be known as a great supervisor.”

Jones is predeceased by his wife. Among those by whom he is survived are his two sons.