Dannie Earl Jones

JONES, Dannie Earl - Of Linden, age 70, passed away Tuesday, January 3, 2023, surrounded by his family at his home in Linden, Michigan.

Funeral service will be held 11am Saturday, January 7, 2023 at St. George Orthodox Church, 5191 Lennon Road, Flint, The Very Reverend Father Joseph Abud officiating.

Burial in Evergreen Cemetery.

Visitation 4-8pm Friday at St. George Orthodox Church, 5191 Lennon Road, Flint. A Trisagion Service will be held 7pm Friday evening at church. Visitation 10am Saturday at church until the time of the service.

Dannie Earl Jones was born in Flint, Michigan on January 22, 1952 to Allen Rudolph Jones and Lois Lucille Powers. He grew up in Flushing, Michigan with his family, one of five children including two brothers and two sisters. Dannie attended Flushing elementary and middle school before graduating from Flushing High School in 1970. After graduation, he held a number of jobs and traveled to Florida before coming back to finish his Associate’s Degree at Mott Community College in 1974 and working at UPS full-time. He married Lubna Emil Bathish on June 6, 1981 in St. George Orthodox Church in Flint before moving out to Lobdell Lake in Linden, Michigan. They welcomed twin sons, Branden and Devin, on March 16, 1994.

Dannie was a devoted family man, always making time for his wife and sons, and was frequently traveling with them all over the world. By the time of his passing, Dannie had visited over 50 countries. He always made the effort to stay connected to family and siblings, including going to family reunions, organizing sibling lunches, and spearheading major milestone family celebrations. Dannie loved living on the lake whether he was waterskiing or he was taking others tubing, wakeboarding, skiing, or swimming. The lake was the centerpiece for him to get enjoyment with family and friends. He also loved athletics.

Dannie played tennis and soccer, and organized pickup basketball games at his house for years. He loved watching his sons play sports and drove them to every single practice and game, often acting as parent, chauffeur, and coach. He was a huge supporter of Michigan football, attending games every Fall since 1978 including attending the 1997 Rose Bowl when Michigan won the national championship. Additionally, Dannie was kind and committed to his community. He was a member of St. George Orthodox Church for over 40 years and served in the choir and Parish Council for decades.

In addition to his family and church, Dannie loved music all his life. He was a talented musician – he could sing well, played guitar since he was 11, and played the French horn, Flugel Horn, and the trumpet. Growing up, he won multiple talent shows and started a band (United Sound) that toured all over Michigan winning Battle of the Bands multiple times including the State Battle in 1968. He marched in various drum corps in Flint and Detroit over 11 years starting at 10 years old. He even passed down his love of music to his sons with Branden playing drums and Devin playing guitar.

Dannie also loved coaching & working with youth. Starting in his early 20s, he began instructing, coaching, and writing shows for drum corps, marching bands, and winter color guard. In a career that spanned 25 years, he achieved elite status winning 10 state titles, the 1987 national championship, and two World Class Finalist finishes in 1988 & 1989, and was even inducted into the Michigan Color Guard Hall of Fame. After taking time to help raise his children and devote time to family, Dannie returned to working with youth, coaching both Boys and Girls Tennis at Powers Catholic High School in Flint from 2010 to 2021. During his tennis coaching career, Dannie won multiple conference and regional championships, earned multiple top 10 finishes in the state, was awarded conference coach and regional coach of the year multiple times, and ranks in the Top 20 of all time for best tennis coach records in the Flint area.

Dannie is survived by his wife, Lubna; his twin sons Branden (Letizia) and Devin (Danielle); his siblings Janice, Doug (Gladys), Phillip (Sherry), and Cindy; and many nieces and nephews all over the country.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to St. George Orthodox Church in Flint.