Ardamae Jones

Ardamae Jones

April 3, 1935 – August 24, 2026

Ardamae Powell Jones, a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and woman of deep faith, passed away on August 24, 2026, in Panorama City, California, surrounded by her loving family. She was 91 years old.

Ardamae was born on April 3, 1935, in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, to Claudia Morgan Powell and Arthur Powell. She grew up in Chester, Pennsylvania, where she graduated from Chester High School in 1953. After the loss of her mother at a young age, Ardamae helped care for her younger siblings, reflecting a devotion to family and caring for others that would remain throughout her life. In 1956, following her marriage to Elwood Johnson, she moved to Los Angeles, California, making Southern California her home. Over the years, she lived in Los Angeles and Pasadena before eventually settling in Altadena.

Hardworking and dedicated, Ardamae began her career in retail sales at May Company. In 1975, she joined Now Designs, a textile company that had recently relocated to Los Angeles, where she helped establish its production and shipping departments. She remained with the company for 30 years, earning the respect of her colleagues through her dedication, strong work ethic, and commitment to doing her job well.

But Ardamae's greatest investment was always her family.

She was the loving mother of five children: Kirk Johnson, Eric Johnson, Gary Sims, Karen (Sims) Richardson, and Cary Sims. Although theirs was what others might describe as a blended family, Ardamae never raised her children with such distinctions. They were simply brothers and sister—one family. She made sure her children had what they needed to succeed and laid a foundation of love, responsibility, and togetherness that remained with them throughout their lives. She was immensely proud of the adults they became and welcomed their spouses and partners into her heart and family as her own.

To her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she was lovingly known as Nana. She delighted in caring for them and continued through another generation the nurturing presence she had always provided for her children.

Ardamae found great joy in the things that made a home and family feel special. She loved to cook and was especially known for her potato salad. She took pride in keeping a beautiful home and treasured time spent with those she loved. During her marriage to Reverend Jesse F. Jones, whom she married on January 20, 2001, their home became a regular gathering place for Sunday dinners filled with good food, lively conversation, and laughter. She also enjoyed watching her soap operas and talking about them with her sisters and son Kirk, and she looked forward to the annual Morgan-Jones family reunions, where she could reconnect with extended family.

Her faith was a defining part of her life. Ardamae read her Bible daily, prayed faithfully for her family, and attended church alongside her husband, Rev. Jesse F. Jones. Her faith was reflected not only in what she believed, but in the way she lived—loving generously, caring deeply, and often putting the needs of others before her own.

Ardamae was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Jesse F. Jones; her parents, Claudia Morgan Powell and Arthur Powell; her brothers, Rev. Houston Featherstone, Rev. Dr. Morgan Powell, and Arthur Lee Powell; and her sisters, Vernice Powell and Evaline Powell Butcher. She was also preceded in death by Elwood Johnson and John Sims, the fathers of her children.

She leaves to cherish her memory her five children, Kirk Johnson (Sharon), Eric Johnson (Garry Bryant), Gary Sims (fiancée Sonya Okamoto), Karen (Sims) Richardson, and Cary Sims; her grandchildren, Christen Johnson, Chayah (Johnson) Israel (Raphael), Bradlee Johnson, Tyler Sims, Sarah Sims, Tasia Richardson (fiancé Steven Ritchie), and Terrence Bryant; and her great-grandchildren, Anayah Israel, Ziyah Israel, Jaden-Raphael Israel, and Terrence Bryant Jr.

She is also survived by her sister, Mabel Powell-Green, and Joyce Wilson, with whom she shared a close and enduring bond, along with many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members, and friends.

Ardamae's legacy lives on in the family she nurtured and held together. She made room in her heart for those she loved and taught her children through both words and example what it meant to care for one another. The foundation she built will continue through the generations of the family she loved so dearly.

Funeral services celebrating Ardamae's life will be held on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. at Old North Church at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California 90068. She will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills following the service.

Flowers may be sent to Old North Church at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.