Gary Clifford Jones

Year Inducted: 2009

Compassion for kids.  Those three words best describe  Gary Jones years of volunteer work with the youth in the area.  For 36 years (1967-2003) Gary coached a Port Huron minor little league team.  During that time he achieved 410 wins, and two City championships.

He coached little league teams to five league championships and six co-league championships.  He coached five back-to-back championships in 1974-75, 1978-79, 1991-92, 1997-98, and 2002-03.

In addition to coaching little league, Gary also managed, umpired, and served on the little league board of directors.  He won the Clyde 10 year old tournament with five straight wins in 1993.  He won the 10 year old Little League District Championship in 1994 with five straight wins.

Besides his work in little league, Gary was a peewee hockey convener and coach in the early 1970s in Port Huron.  Gary also coached in the Kiwanis Flag Football League for many fall seasons.  Gary coached fifthgrade boys basketball at Harrison School.  Gary volunteered as a lunch buddy at Harrison School.  Finally, Gary has sponsored the “Jones Boys” minor league Port Huron little league team for several years, which his wife Karen continues to sponsor today.

For his efforts Gary received a Certificate of Special Recognition from the Port Huron Area School District in 2000.  Also in 2000, the City of Port Huron awarded Gary the Spirit of Port Huron Youth Service Award.

The Board of Directors for Port Huron Little League proclaim that Gary Jones set the standard by which they measure coaching success.  In honor of Gary’s achievements, the Board of Directors dedicated Diamond #4 to Gary’s memory.

Gary Jones was born May 26, 1937 and passed away on December 9, 2003.  He married Karen Kovatch on March 30, 1957.  They had three children:  Kim, Gary C. and Kristie.  Gary worked for and retired from SEMCO Energy in 1997, after 43 years of service.