Paula Towns Jones
Paula Towns Jones, a starter on Tennessee's 1983-84 Final Four basketball team, has died at age 51.
Known as Paula Towns during her Lady Vols days from 1981-84, she earned All-SEC as a sophomore and joined the 1,000-point club as a senior.
She died at her home in Alabama over the weekend.
"Paula played basketball the way Pat (Summitt) wanted the game to be played," Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick said in a UT release. "She was intense and she was extremely coachable and very respectful.
"She just did things right.''
Jones came to UT from Fort Valley, Ga., and was a three-year starter. Her final game was the 1984 NCAA tournament championship game loss to Southern Cal.
She played for Houston in the WPBA after graduation.
"She was raising two boys,'' Warlick said, "and I know she taught them the values she grew up with and also learned at Tennessee.
"She will be greatly missed by everyone, including all of us in the Lady Vol family.''
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Usher's Temple CME Church in Fort Valley.
Funeral services are being handled by C.J. Edwards Funeral Home. Details have not been released.
According to UT, Jones is the third Lady Vol of the modern era to die, following Fonda Bondurant (1994) and Melissa (McCray ) Dukes (2010).
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Comments » 8
utvolz#637682 writes:
RIP Paula and thanks for being a Lady Vol!
emailnodata (Inactive) writes:
She looks so beautiful in that picture.
Theo writes:
Lady Vol Forever.
Condolensces to her children and other family members.
Goodvol_1 writes:
Paula played during the time I attended the University. This is definitely a tough loss for the Lady Vol Family. Prayers from my family to Paula's.
madrigal writes:
51 is way too young to die. I remember Paula and I hope there are some orange ribbons on the pearly gates today!
jakethevolguy writes:
The entire Vol Nation is in mourning for the loss of this member of our family. Prayers to family and friends.
BreatheUT writes:
When you see her as young, beautiful and strong in that picture and then put together that she has died at 51, that just let's you know how quickly life passes us by and how short and precious it really is. Sad to hear.
easleychuck writes:
Deepest sympathies to Paula's family.
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