Ray Herman Jones, Sr. was born to the late Henry and Mary Jones on March 17, 1933 in Houston, Texas.

Herman grew up in Houston's Third Ward and later Sunnyside. He was the third youngest of 11 siblings. He attended Lucky Elementary and graduated from Jack Yates High School. While at Jack Yates he excelled on the football team and always cherished his beloved letterman jacket.

After graduating from high school, he attended Bishop College in Marshall, Texas. He later joined the Army in 1967 and served 2 years where he got to experience different countries including Germany.  He was a loyal employee at Harcross Chemical Company for over 50 years where he held different positions and responsibilities including head foreman.

As a child his parents made sure that he and his siblings were brought up in church. In his adulthood, he joined Trinity Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Rev. R. J. Lott where he served as choir president, worked in the finance office and was a faithful deacon.

Herman was joined in marriage to the late Beatrice Conway Jones, their union lasted for over 57 years.   Together they raised their family in Sunnyside and later relocated to Glen Iris. He never missed an opportunity to "show off" his children that he was so very proud of. He enjoyed dressing up and always took pride in looking sharp, relishing the compliments about how youthful he appeared for his age.

He was a passionate sports fan, always cheering for his favorite teams, the Houston Astros and the University of Houston Cougars. With a remarkable knowledge of sports facts and trivia spanning decades, he was a true enthusiast. His love for music was just as strong, from gospel to the blues. He could be heard from his room either reading his bible, praying, talking on the phone or loudly singing gospel songs or singing along with Bobby Womack off-key. He also had a love for word search and crossword puzzles, always eager to tackle a new challenge and keep his mind sharp.

On September 10, 2024, the Lord called Herman home. He was preceded in death by his sisters Bernice, Lily Bell, Bertha Lee, Dorothy, and Gloria and by his brothers Leroy, Dennis, Johnny, Charles, Robert, and Freddie Lee. His sons Reginald Washington and Roderick Clemons, his daughter Angela Jones, and his grandson Jerod Washington.

Herman leaves to cherish his memory his sons, Ray Jones, Jr. (Patricia) and Gregory Jones, daughters Lisa Betts (Robert),  Donna Chatman (Carl), Deneisha Jones-Johnson (Brian), daughter-in-law Pamela Clemons, his grandchildren Donald Watkins, Dawn Gice (Edd), Tameka Jones, Raquel Jones, Bliss Thornton (Jacque), Britton Phillips-Jones, Bianca Clemons, Courtney Jones (Roshundra), Philisha Redman, Carl Chatman II, War'Kya Hines, Melody Chatman, Dylan Andrews, Brother-in-law and sister-in-law Clarence and Bobbie Jean Speed, Niece/daughter Dana Conway, God-sisters Johnetta Sue Lane and Patricia Graves, god-daughter Amy Gaines, cherished cousins Brenda Crooks and Claude,  and a host of great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews