Florence Elizabeth “Bette” Jones Hicks Obituary (1932 - 2016)

Florence Elizabeth "Bette" Jones Hicks, age 83, passed away on Thursday, August 11, 2016. She was born on August 20, 1932, in Ocala, Florida to Mary Bailey Turner and G. Henry Turner and graduated from Gainesville High School in 1950. She attended the University of Florida and was a member of Tri-Delta. She received her bachelor\'s degree from Florida Southern College. Bette dedicated much of her life to ministry and helping others. She served as a youth counselor and leader at the Methodist Youth Camp in Leesburg, Florida, where she met her first husband Dr. Kenneth R. Jones, with whom she raised 4 children. She also served in inner city ministries in Atlanta, Georgia where was deeply involved in the civil rights movement at Trinity Methodist Church. Bette had an entrepreneurial spirit and was a pioneer in the international travel industry. She organized hundreds of trips around the world, specializing in in the Middle East. When travel to China opened up in the late 1970\'s, she arranged for CNAC Hump Pilots and Flying Tigers to return, as well as trips for medical researchers. Bette is survived by her four children, daughter, Jana Ost and her husband Matt, son Gaylon Jones and his wife Mary, daughter Julie Jones, son Doug Jones and his wife Theresa, as well as 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her son through marriage J.D. Hicks, his wife Blake and their 2 children, and close friend Rubin Davis who loved and cared for Bette, Dash, and her parents throughout their lives. Husband Dashwood \"Dash\" Hicks preceded her passing on November 2, 2015. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 419 NE First Street, Gainesville, Florida at 11:00am on Saturday, September 3, 2016. Interment will be at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery beside her husband Dashwood Hicks. In lieu of flowers, contributions should be made to the American Cancer Society or the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675.