Celebration of life announced for Atlanta teacher, coach found in Lake Oconee
Lake Oconee search, recovery for Gary Jones explained
Just over a month after Gary Jones and Joycelyn Wilson seemingly vanished on Lake Oconnee, the long and brutal search for them ended Sunday. Keith Cormican helped the Putnam County sheriff find Jones.
RIVERDALE, Ga. - A funeral service and celebration of life for a beloved Atlanta teacher and coach who died during a boating trip on Lake Oconee have been announced for next week.
Gary Jones' body was found last weekend, nearly a month after he and his fiancée, Joycelyn Wilson, vanished during a trip to the lake.
The backstory:
Jones and Wilson were at the lake on Feb. 8 to celebrate Jones' 50th birthday.
Their empty boat was discovered that afternoon near the lake's dam.
A search team found Wilson's body the following day. Jones' shoes, wallet and other personal belongings were also found.
For 22 days, cadaver dogs and diving teams from multiple states have given their time to find any trace of Jones. A week after part of the search effort was suspended, officials say his body was found using a roving device. Sheriff Howard Sills said the teacher was around 75 to 100 yards away from where Wilson's body was located a month ago. He was in about 45 feet of water.
Jones was a teacher and the track and field coach at Westminster Schools, a private Christian school in Atlanta. Wilson and Jones were planning to get married this month, according to their friends.
What's next:
Jones' celebration of life will take place on Thursday, March 20, at the Dortch-Williamson Funeral & Cremation Services on Highway 138 in Riverdale.
His funeral will be the next day at Elizabeth Baptist Church on Cascade Road in Atlanta.
You can share your memories of the educator and send flowers on the funeral home's website.
The Source: Information for this story came from the Dortch-Williamson Funeral & Cremation Services' website and previous FOX 5 reporting.