Dr. Robert Sidney Jones, Dmd

Dr. Robert Sidney Jones, DMD, of Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina died April 7, 2020 in Bradenton, Florida of COVID -19 disease.  He was born in Gallatin, Tennessee to Rose and Carlen Jones and graduated from Gallatin High School in 1956.  Dr. Jones graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1960.  His education continued at the Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute in Troy, New York, earning degrees in both Mechanical and Civil Engineering. Although his family often teased him of becoming a professional student, Dr. Jones finally chose his life-long career in dentistry, and later, specialized in oral surgery.

Dr. Jones completed dental school at the Medical University of South Carolina where he was a member of the prestigious OKU honorary fraternity.  He went on to complete an internship in Oral and  Maxillofacial Surgery at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina and his residency at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he was Chief Resident.  Dr. Jones held a South Carolina Specialty License in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.  In addition to being a Board Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, he was also certified in both Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support.  Dr. Jones was a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Dental Association, the South Carolina Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology, and the Hilton Head/Bluffton Dental Society.

Dr. Jones’ professional education was completed while serving in the U. S. Navy.  He served in Viet Nam where he utilized his engineering degrees to supervise the building of bridges and docks.   He later also served in Okinawa, Japan at the Naval Medical Center where he practiced dentistry. Dr. Jones advanced as an officer in the Navy and held the rank of Commander when he retired from military service.

Dr. Jones then established a dental and oral surgical practice in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina and, after obtaining a pilot’s license, began flying twice a week to Hilton Head Island where he established a second professional practice.  Eventually, he moved his practice to Hilton Head Island on a full- time basis.

While living in the Hilton Head area, Dr. Jones became very active in the local community. He was a member of the Church of the Cross in Bluffton. He was also a member of both the Rotary Clubs of Hilton Head and Bluffton and a member of the Country Club of Hilton Head. Dr. Jones developed an avid love of tennis and, in fact, played on two USTA teams simultaneously.

Dr. Jones is predeceased by his late wife, Jeanne Ashley Jones, and is survived by his wife, Sherry Dunaway Jones of Bradenton Florida; his son, Robert S. Jones, Jr. and wife, Kim, of Bluffton, South Carolina; his daughter, Nancy Ashley Jones of Charleston, South Carolina; his brother, Albert W. Jones and wife, Betty, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee; his grandson, Cooper, of Bluffton, South Carolina and many devoted nieces and nephews.

He will be buried at the Beaufort National Cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the MUSC Children’s Hospital Fund for use in the medical transport program. Gifts can be mailed to the following address:MUSC Children’s Hospital Fund 59 Bee Street, MSC 201 Charleston, SC 20425.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.