COLUMBIA—Edwin Rudolph “Rudy” Jones, Jr. was born August 3, 1938 and received God’s eternal grace on January 31, 2020. A service will be held Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 11:00 am at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 2827 Wheat Street in Columbia. A reception will follow at noon at the church. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel is assisting the family.
The son of Mattie Vines Mayo Jones and Edwin Rudolph Jones, Rudy graduated from Dillon High School and received a BS in Physics in 1960 from Clemson College, where he won the coveted Norris Medal for Best All Around Graduating Senior. He earned both his masters and doctoral degrees in Physics in 1965 from the University of Wisconsin. As a teenager, Rudy met the love of his life, Elizabeth “Betty” Farmer at Camp Gravatt, an Episcopal youth summer camp in Aiken, SC. They were married just shy of 60 years.
Rudy taught Physics at the University of South Carolina for 50 years, where he became an avid lifelong Gamecock. For more than 25 years he was the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and led the National Junior Physics Academy, the Junior Science Fair, and Physics day at the SC State Fair. He developed new courses and wrote numerous lab manuals. He authored the textbook Solid-State Electronics, and co-authored Contemporary College Physics, which was widely used in undergraduate Physics classes internationally for many years. He was an active member of the American Physical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and SPIE engineering society.
He was a long-time member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church where he taught Sunday school, served on the vestry, was Senior Warden, and Chairman of the Churchyard Committee. For the past 20 years Rudy and Betty have been active members of St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he served on the vestry. He was a member of the men’s bible study group at St. John’s, and until recently, a participant of the men’s Morning Prayer group at St. Michael’s. Rudy was a lifelong educator, with special interests in electronics and optics. He enjoyed attending all Gamecock sports and loved traveling with his wife and family.
He is survived by his wife, Betty, and his children: Caroline and Nathan Horn, Eddie and Tracy Jones, Bobby and Barbara Jones, Kate Jones and Lori Dietzler, Scott and Jeanne Berryhill; and his grandchildren: Farris, Ellen, Beth, Rick and Aaron Jones, Lara Soldaña, Ben Berryhill, Andy Berryhill and Jennifer Barker, as well as six great grandchildren, his nephew Shep Berryhill, and cousins Betty Pfeltz, Betsy Parks and Jim Bass. He was pre-deceased by his parents and his daughter-in-law, Kim Whitaker Berryhill.
Rudy was sustained during a long illness by his deep Christian faith. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Rudy’s memory may be made to Bishop Gravatt Center at 1006 Camp Gravatt Road, Aiken SC, 29805 or Oliver Gospel Mission at PO Box 7697, Columbia SC 29202.
Memories and condolences may be shared at ShivesFuneralHome.com
