Before Frank Jones came to Atlanta in 1977 to be a partner at the law firm of King & Spalding, he was a major player in the legal and civic circles of his hometown, Macon. He practiced for nearly 30 years at a firm founded by his great-grandfather, a place where his grandfather and father worked as well. And his experience in Macon made him an extremely knowledgeable lawyer in Atlanta, friends and colleagues said.
“He was generally considered by people at the firm, and by me certainly, to be one of the best lawyers ever at the firm,” said Robert D. Hays Jr., chairman of King & Spalding. “In Macon, he got to do so many different kinds of work, and he was one of the last lawyers I encountered who got to practice every facet of the law. He just knew so much and he’d seen so much.”
Though Mr. Jones officially retired from King & Spalding in 2001, he maintained a close relationship with the firm as long as his health allowed.
“He stayed actively involved in the practice in different ways,” Mr. Hays said. “He was a model partner, in that he always helped other people in the law firm achieve success.”
Frank Cater Jones, of Macon, died Wednesday at his home from complications of a long illness. He was 87. A funeral was held Saturday at Vineville United Methodist Church in Macon, followed by a private burial at Rose Hill Cemetery. Arrangements were handled by Hart’s Mortuary and Crematory at the Cupola, Macon.
A member of the Naval Reserve during World War II, Mr. Jones served three years in the military. He earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University and his law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University.
A former member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association for 22 years, Mr. Jones was invited to become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and he was elected as its President in 1993. From 1995 until his death, he chaired the Bar Center Committee of the State Bar of Georgia.
His legal advice was sought by state leaders, including Governor Sonny Perdue.
“For more than six decades, Frank was universally accepted as among the most respected and gifted lawyers in Georgia,” he said in a statement. “During my time as Governor, I asked Frank to help out on two different occasions with difficult legal questions and he jumped at the chance to serve his home state.”
From the beginning of his legal career to the end, Mr. Jones worked tirelessly in Georgia’s legal community. He served as president of the State Bar of Georgia in the ‘60s, did significant pro bono work and was appointed as Special Attorney General representing the State of Georgia in healthcare litigation.
“I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with Frank as he led the team of pro bono lawyers who advised the State of Georgia and Governors Perdue and Deal on our challenge to President Obama’s Affordable Care Act,” Attorney General Sam Olens said, in a prepared statement. “ Frank was a great American and Georgian. He will be missed.”
Mr. Jones is survived by his wife of 61 years, Annie Anderson Jones; four children, Eugenia Jones Henderson, Annie Gantt Jones Blattner, Carolyn Jones Corley, and Frank C. Jones Jr.; seven grandchildren; and one great grandchild.
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