Rev. Dr. David G. Jones

Dr. David G. Jones of Cambridge, MD passed away on May 5, 2024. David was born in Nashville, TN to George F. and Elizabeth W. Jones, nee MacPhail. He was very active and played multiple sports all through school. David graduated with honors, earning a BA degree in English from Sewanee: The University of the South, and received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. He went on to attend Vanderbilt and then back to Sewanee to earn his Masters in Divinity. While at Sewanee, David married Anne Mullinax and they welcomed their first daughter, Catherine.  The small family moved to Memphis, TN where David was assigned to his first parish in the Episcopal Church. While in Memphis they welcomed a second daughter, Anne. 

 David was called to work for the National Council of the Episcopal Church in the capacity of Human Relations Training. The family moved to Greenwich, CT to be close to the national headquarters. David and Anne’s son, Christopher, was born there. The church and spirituality remained a deeply significant center of his life. He remained active in parishes wherever he lived, giving guest sermons and substituting when needed. He attended Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in D.C., marched against apartheid at the UN in NY, and worked throughout his life for equal rights, justice, dignity and respect for each individual.

The family moved to Boston, MA and David began a doctoral program at Boston University. He later graduated from Columbia University with a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and Adult Education. In the late 1960’s, the family moved to Minnesota and David started a consulting firm with a close friend and colleague Dr. Richard E. Byrd. An adventurous lifelong learner, he explored and experienced the rich variety of spiritual practices and other cultures across the globe.

David and Anne divorced in the early 1970’s. He moved to Aptos,California, married Coeleen Kiebert and started Sentient Systems, Inc. He and Coeleen divorced in the mid-1980s. His professional work became focused on local governments and public service agencies. He personally worked with over 1000 local government agencies, where he designed and directed strategic planning and team building with city councils, commissions, school boards and other public agencies, and staff. David developed the Delphi II process of priority setting to enable councils and agencies to establish very specific goals and the Interpersonal Influence Inventory to help people understand their leadership styles and those of others. He also created the innovative leader development program Beyond Bravery: The Courage to Lead.

He met the love of his life and soul mate, Sandra Tripp, in 1992, and gained a bonus son, Gustavo. Sandra and David married in 1996 and settled in Santa Barbara, CA. Sandra’s career took them to the east coast, where they found a home in Cambridge, MD. Mostly retired from consulting, he focused on writing his book, Magdalene’s Dance with God: Mary’s Guidance for My Journey and Yours and conducting workshops based on the book.

He was a pioneer in the Human Potential/Group Dynamics movement, and active in the field of training, organization and human development since 1957. He has trained and consulted with organizations in forty-eight of the fifty states.  Internationally, he introduced Human Relations Training, Organization Development and Strategic Planning into Liberia, West Africa, South Africa and assisted in its implementation in Uganda. In addition, he worked professionally in Portugal, Canada, Mexico, France, Austria, Peru and England. In the 1960's, he designed a highly successful Training of Trainers Model Program (T.O.T.), which is still being used today in the United States and abroad. He was deeply respected in his field and a sought-after speaker.

In 1973, David co-founded a training program for managers and department heads from local governments and special districts called "Continuing Education for Public Officials" (CEPO). In 2006 he became ‘Executive Director Emeritus’. CEPO has graduated several thousand students.

David loved people, enjoyed hosting parties and orchestrating MacPhail clan gatherings, and saw the common spark of humanity in every person he met. He was a great story teller, loved jokes, saw the humor in life, easily laughed at himself, and loved the fact that ‘David’ means "beloved." He enjoyed exploring different spiritual traditions, sailing and writing.  He was a supportive father, a loving spouse, and adored being a grandfather. David was kind, generous, and always looked for where he could lend a hand. He will be deeply missed by so many.

David was preceded in death by his parents, sister Ruth Summitt, and his first wife, Anne. He is survived by his wife Sandra Tripp-Jones, sister Elizabeth Cherry, daughters Catherine Mullinax-Jones and Anne Boyd, sons Christopher Jones and Gustavo Lizarraga, grandson Michael Boyd and granddaughter Clare Sietzer-Jones, and many cousins, nieces and nephews, and dear friends.

The funeral will be on June 18, at 10 a.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 601 Church St, Cambridge, MD 21613. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Delmarva Community Services Food Pantry or the Baywater Animal Rescue. Arrangements are in the care of the Thomas Funeral Home, P.A. in Cambridge.