Travis Dale Jones

Travis Dale Jones, a life-long West Texan, died at home Sunday, November 6. He had 80 years on this earth. He was born October 13th, 1942, just up the road in Littlefield, Texas. He was the eldest son of Travis Freeman Jones and Helen Mae White Jones. Along with Dale's younger brothers, Donald Richard Jones and Jerry Allan Jones, he lived in Littlefield until moving to Lubbock in 1952. His parents built a house on 44th street just off Indiana Avenue. He played football for the Plainsmen, developed a life-long love of Scouting, and raced horses down 50th street when it was still a dirt road. Dale was in the first four-year class at Monterey High School and graduated in 1961. Dale attended Texas Technological College before it was Texas Tech University and graduated with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics in 1965. He was a Red Raider through and through and an early member of the TTU Kappa Alpha Order. He loved telling stories about how John Denver played their parties. Upon graduation, he went to Austin to attend the University of Texas School of Law. When his nose wasn't buried in a law book, Dale would go out to the Broken Spoke dance hall. He remembers it being way out in the country. In fact, "There wasn't much south of Lady Bird Lake." While in school, he was a legislative assistant to Texas State Senator H.J. "Doc" Blanchard in 1967. He graduated in 1968 with a Doctor of Jurisprudence. Later, in the Fall of 1968, he was a staff assistant for U.S. Congressman George H. Mahon while studying to become a member of the Texas Bar. In the Spring of 1969, Dale became an application examiner with the U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress in Arlington, Virginia. One fateful evening, Dale attended a church party in nearby Alexandria, Virginia. Among those attending the party was the whistle blower for Watergate. Also, and more importantly, so was his future wife. Lilla Johnstone hit him with a frisbee as he entered through the gate. Whether the toss was errant or intentional is still up for debate, but it led to a marriage of 52 years. Early in their relationship, Dale showed up on Lilla's doorstep with his brand new, British racing green FIAT. The fact that she was already on a date with a Navy doctor did not deter him. The three of them went for a drive. Eventually, the doc got out. After a short, three-month courtship, Dale asked for Lilla's hand. The two were married June 27, 1970. Dale moved back to Lubbock, with Lilla, in July 1971. He hung up his shingle with Travis D. Shelton & Associates, which later became Shelton and Jones. Over the next 28 years of practicing law, he received the highest rating in the Martindale-Hubbell peer review. Dale was a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a Charter Member of Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He was admitted in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, United States Courts of Appeal for the Fifth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Services, and the United States Supreme Court. He also served several times as an officer for the Lubbock County Bar. In 1999, he wrote an article titled, "Law and Politics in Lubbock in the Twentieth Century," that became a part of the Southwest Collection. While he practiced general law and criminal defense, he eventually became known for his acumen in Appellate Law. In 1999, Travis Shelton retired, and they closed the practice. Dale began a new chapter as a Professor of Legal Practice at Texas Tech University School of Law. He taught Legal Practice I and II for his alma mater for the better part of two decades. He was an original member of the Law School LLM Committee in 2010 where he served until his retirement. He served on the Admissions Committee three times. He loved teaching. He loved his students. He took great pride in his time at the law school and in watching his former students go on to accomplish great things. Dale's legendary signature silver hair led to his nickname among the students. "The Silver Fox" retired from teaching in 1997. His love for the law lasted more than 50 years and was only one facet of his life. Dale was an active leader in his church and continuous servant of the community. He had a quiet and steady commitment to his faith. On return to Lubbock in 1971, he became active again in Westminster Presbyterian Church serving as a Sunday school teacher, college class leader, and elder. For several decades, he was the legal counsel for the Palo Duro Presbytery and a lay preacher in the Presbyterian Church, filling in for preachers across the South Plains. As an ordained elder, he served as Clerk of the Session at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Dale maintained a close connection to Scouting. He achieved the rank of Life Scout as a young man and always regretted not finishing his Eagle. As an adult, Dale was involved in Wood Badge and High Adventure Explorer Post 806. As a father, Dale started Cub Scout Pack 536 in 1986, which is still active today. He was very involved with the South Plains Council, and the Order of the Arrow Honor Society. He was honored with the Silver Beaver Award for exceptional character and distinguished service within the council. Dale's son, Travis, became an Eagle Scout, and now his granddaughter, Ashlyn, is well on her path to Eagle. Dale had a passion for American history, especially Native American culture. He had a special connection with the Lakota nation. He developed a special friendship with Chief and Eileen Runkels of Post, TX. Dale and his family traveled to the Pine Ridge and Rose Bud reservations in the Dakotas where they attended a Sun Dance at the invitation of his friend, Daniel Longsoldier. He was granted an audience with Fools Crow, one of the last great Sioux shamans, who gave Dale the name "Winter Hawk." Dale enjoyed participating in historical reenactments. He would take his family to the Santa Fe Trail Rendezvous, where they dressed in pre-1840 Plains Indian attire and lived in an 18' lodge pole pine teepee. Dale loved Native American Culture so much that many thought he had Lakota blood running through his veins. He did not, but he definitively aligned himself with the Lakota in spirit. Dale was fit and active until the end. He was an avid snow skier for much of his life. He played on many city league soccer and football teams. He was even a nasty softball pitcher. Above all else, Dale loved to run. He was in countless 10K's and an annual staple at the Red Raider Road Race. If you lived in Tech Terrace in the past 40 years, you have undoubtedly seen his white head of hair trotting down the road. Dale was preceded in death by his parents, Travis and Helen Jones, and infant brother, Larry Jones. Dale is survived by Lilla Johnstone Jones, wife; Angela Jones Simek, Ashlyn Kymbrel Simek and Keiralei Bliss Simek of Lubbock, daughter and granddaughters; Travis Alan Jones and Caitlin Nicol-Thomas of Nashville, TN, son and daughter-in-law; Donald Richard Jones and Christine Adrean Jones of Lubbock, brother and sister-in-law; Jerry Allan Jones and Mark Llamos of Sherman, CT, brother and brother-in-law. Visitation will be at Sanders Funeral Home Friday, November 11, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. A celebration of his life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 12, 2022, at Second Baptist Church with the Reverend Davis Borden Price and Senior Pastor Jake Maxwell officiating. The service will be live streamed at secondb.org. Please celebrate the life of Travis Dale Jones by visiting www.sandersfuneralhome.com.

Travis Dale Jones

October 13, 1942 - November 6, 2022