JoLayne Jones Wood

JoLayne Jones Wood January 1, 1957 – August 26, 2026

JoLayne Jones Wood, 69, passed away peacefully on August 26, 2026, at her parents' home in Provo, Utah, following a battle with a rare uterine cancer, first diagnosed in late April of this year. A woman of deep faith, boundless encouragement, and a heart devoted to children and family, JoLayne spent her final years conscientiously caring for the parents who raised her.

JoLayne was born January 1, 1957, in Ukiah, California, to Milton and Grace Jones, the third of six children. She grew up in a home where faith and hard work were taught side by side, and her parents' lessons of striving for a Christ-centered life stayed with her throughout her life. Her childhood was rich with family togetherness, and it was there she learned well the art of homemaking. She was especially known by her children for her delicious Sunday dinners and, from a young age, was a very skilled seamstress–something that would serve her for years to come. She sewed most of her own high school wardrobe and later made and sold drapes professionally. Singing with her sisters and playing the piano also brought her great joy throughout her childhood and youth.

After graduating from Ukiah High School, JoLayne attended Brigham Young University, where she met Craig Victor Hale. The two married in the Oakland Temple and spent 23 years together raising their family—first living in Provo, then Ukiah, before settling in McMinnville, then Chattanooga, Tennessee.

JoLayne’s greatest joy was raising her seven children and she was especially good at finding creative ways to make many fond memories for them. She adored who her children became and who her grandchildren were becoming and often said her children were the crowning jewels of her life. She was especially attentive to the special needs of her daughter Julia, with whom she spoke numerous times daily.

Decades after first attending BYU, JoLayne returned to school as a grandmother and completed her degree in Special Education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She spent 15 years teaching special education in Chattanooga, with a particularly special gift for teaching children to read and helping them to feel loved and seen.

A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she lived her faith visibly, often acknowledging the hand of God in her life, and served many years in Relief Society and in music callings, including playing the organ for sacrament meeting.

When JoLayne retired in May 2023, she left family, friends, and community behind in Chattanooga and moved to Provo to care for her aging parents — a sacrifice she made willingly, and a role she carried out with diligence for three years. It was not an easy or convenient choice, but her selfless desire to honor their wishes kept her going. Her mother, Grace Guymon Jones, passed away on July 24, 2026, just a month before JoLayne. Her family finds comfort in knowing they are reunited once again.

JoLayne is survived by her father, Milton Bennion Jones, age 100; children, Ammon Hale (Jillian), Aaron Hale (Mina), Julia Hale, Janel Osborne (Derek), David Hale (Katrina), Kathy Ramos (Osvaldo), and Janae Stone (Jaymes); 25 grandchildren; and her siblings, Milton Jones Jr. (Francien), Richard Jones (Jean), Tamera Engebretsen (James), Sherilee Drennan (Scott), and Karolyn Butler (Anthony). She is preceded in death by her mother, Grace Guymon Jones.

JoLayne will be remembered for her unwavering encouragement, her generous spirit, and the deep faith she leaned on especially in her final years. Her memory will live on in the countless lives — family, students, and friends — that she nurtured along the way.

Funeral Services Monday, August 31, at 2:00 PM The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1960 North 1500 East, Provo, Utah

Visitation Monday, August 31, 2026, at 12:30 PM (prior to the service, same location)

Graveside Services Monday, August 31, 2026, at 3:30 PM East Lawn Memorial Hills Cemetery 4800 N. 650 E., Provo, Utah (northeast bench)

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.