Posted by: Carolyn Stevens-Wood, Staff Writer
Financial Trader.
Poet.
All-around sweet guy.
Floyd Udell Jones
(1927 – 2018)
Goldie stood to the right upon entering Floyd’s sitting
room.
He had a place of honor right behind a sofa on a small
platform by the window. Goldie the lion sculpture was purchased on a trip
to South Africa Floyd took with his companion, Alene Moris, a number of years
ago. The purchase was a quick decision, something for which Floyd was well
known, on a side trip during a delay en route to the airport. Floyd was taken
with the beauty of the lion, a piece of incredible artwork composed of
thousands of tiny gold beads in intricate handiwork. Goldie served as a
reminder of the safari they took and the extraordinary memories of seeing lions
in their wild habitat. Floyd was keenly aware that most people will not have
the chance to see the majestic, awe-inspiring lions in Africa as he did, and
wanted them to be able to see them up close at the zoo. “I didn’t get the
chance to go to the zoo as a child, so I want to make it possible for as many
children as I can to be able to go”.
As a child in Missouri in the 1920s and 30s working in the
cotton fields as the son of a sharecropper, making learning a priority was not
easy. Floyd credited a number of people in his life who encouraged him to pursue
his education. Floyd’s mother was an immense influence in this area, inspiring
him not to give up. A special teacher in high school was also a keen motivator
for Floyd. She made it her mission to teach the children from his rural
community about the arts and literature. Even though this was not something
many of his peers could utilize at the time, she was convinced that all
children, no matter what their circumstance, should be exposed to all types of
books and poetry. In many different ways, this made a lasting impact on Floyd.
Although Floyd took his career in a different direction,
making finance and trading his lifelong work, he was always drawn to the
written word. “I learned that you can say a lot with few words, and this was
very valuable.” From writing an artful corporate letter to his own personal
poetry, Floyd found great pleasure in delivering a message in this way. “I
began writing poems for people and they seemed to enjoy them.” Tributes to his
colleagues, friends, family and his beloved wife, Delores, became a passionate
pastime for him. “I always asked Delores if she approved of my poems before I
sent them off, and she always said yes!”
Upon moving to Seattle in 1953, Floyd and Delores lived
right across the street from Woodland Park Zoo, where they were residents of
the Phinney Ridge Apartments. “We’d hear the animals making all kinds of
noises, they were our next door neighbors” he remembered. Floyd worked at the
Boeing Company as a returning serviceman in the evenings and studied at the
University of Washington during the day while Delores worked as a social
worker. Balancing full-time work and school was very demanding for Floyd and
Delores one day suggested to him that he quit his job and focus solely on his
studies while they lived on her earnings. “This was the greatest gift she could
have ever given me,” Floyd said. “Immediately, I was able to focus more and my
grades went up!” Floyd went on to become extremely successful in the financial
management field, landing his first post-college job at the Tacoma office of
Dean Witter & Co.
“Against all odds, I’ve lived the American dream, you could
say.” Floyd lived well, indeed. As many people helped Floyd along his path, he
felt that he wanted to do the same. He intended to leave legacy gifts to a
number of Puget Sound organizations including KCTS Public Television,
Hopeworks, the Nordic Heritage Museum, Virginia Mason, Youthcare and Woodland
Park Zoo. “I want to do the most good in the community as possible and make it
better for all.” Floyd’s good friend, Pamela Eakes, saw this firsthand.
“Floyd knew what it’s like to be poor and he knew what it’s like to have
dreams. He wanted all children to be able to have hope and dreams to aspire to,
and believed this can start with something like a trip to the zoo. This will be
his legacy.”
As our recent visit was coming to an end, I had one last
question for Floyd. What does philanthropy mean to you today? Without missing a
beat and with a tear in his eye, “philanthropy is sweetness for the soul,”
Floyd said.
I couldn’t agree with you more and by the way, we all think
you were a pretty sweet guy yourself, Floyd. On behalf of the 1,200 animals and
millions of children who will benefit from your kindness, it’s our great honor
to help bear your legacy.
Comments
Post a Comment