TUPELO, Mississippi—Tyler Jones of Hamilton, Mississippi, passed away recently at age 27. He worked as a nurse at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo for seven years.

The Jones family is working with the Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi to direct donations in his memory to the Nursing Services Fund, which provides patient assistance and supports nursing projects at NMMC. “We chose this fund because it will provide help for patients who would have been in Tyler’s care, to continue his legacy of showing love to his patients,” says his mother, Sherrie Jones.

In addition, the Health Care Foundation will create a scholarship in Tyler’s memory that will be awarded each year to a graduating senior from Hamilton High School, his alma mater, who is pursuing a career in health care.

Jones was an RN and charge nurse on 4 South, and he made a lasting impression on his patients and coworkers.

“I knew he was good at his job, but I didn’t know how many people he made an impact on until now,” says Sherrie Jones. “We have gotten messages and calls from his patients – even people he took care of years ago. They all expressed how much Tyler meant to them and how much they loved him.”

When he was younger, he played bass guitar at his church – First Baptist Church of Aberdeen. He was baptized at 8 years old, and his faith was always important to him. At work, he lived out that faith, often praying with his patients.

“He always put others first,” Tyler’s mother says. “Once, a patient was discharged and left his dentures behind. Tyler left work after his shift and drove 45 minutes out of his way to return them. Another time an older couple called the nursing unit because they were having trouble with a piece of medical equipment once they got home. He went to their house and helped them after work. He got home at 3 a.m. and got up a few hours later to go back to the hospital to work. When there was ice on the roads, he took his coworkers to and from work to help keep them safe. He truly loved the Lord and loved people.”

Tyler loved to hunt and fish, and he loved sharing those passions with those around him. “If he invited someone to go duck hunting and they said they didn’t have waders, he would tell them he had extra and secretly buy them a pair, so he could share his love of the outdoors with them,” Sherrie says.

In addition to his mother, Tyler is survived by his father, Benny, and sisters, Amber and Hailee. The scholarship was announced during a memorial service for his co-workers held outside NMMC-Tupelo on Thursday, September 30.  

The Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi fuels the mission of North Mississippi Health Services by supporting patient assistance, community outreach and growing the next generation of health care heroes through scholarships. All donations to HCF go to the donor’s intended purpose – never administrative or overhead costs.

To contribute to HCF in memory of Tyler Jones, visit https://www.nmhsfoundation.org/tyler-jones-memorial or call (662) 377-3613. HCF will match all donations made to the Nursing Services Fund in memory of Tyler Jones.