Arlelia I. Jones

Arlelia Irene Jones was born July 18, 1954 in New York city’s Harlem Hospital. She attended New York Public schools and obtained her GED at the age of 18. She remained in New York City until 1989 when she relocated to Virginia, where her biological mother’s family is from. She remained in Virginia until her passing on May 4, 2024.

Arlelia’s life was no Crystal stairs, but you would’ve never known because she was so full of life.  Her biological mother passed away before Arlelia reached her teenage years. Due to  her full of life personality, her family in Virginia happily left her in New York to be raised by her foster parents. Unfortunately, that left her to be separated from her only biological sister.

Arlelia lived the typical Foster child life but never complained. She loved and appreciated Mama Bea for taking care of her.

Arlelia fell in love with Alfred Miller, and that relationship produced her first child. Two years after she married her friend, Aaron Jones and that relationship produced her second child. Coincidentally her oldest child remained the love of her life, and her youngest child remained her best friend to the end.

Arlelia was married three times trying to ensure her daughters had a happy comfortable home. Unfortunately, there was no man that could measure up to Arlelia’s standards. She worked hard to take care of her girls alone. She was a bar maid, hairdresser bank teller, programmer analyst, party clown, Mary Kay rep, 7-Eleven clerk, 7-Eleven manager, gas station cashier, construction rigger & flagger, Easy Spirit and Avon rep. However her greatest accomplishment in her career was obtaining her port number and becoming a longshoreman with Local 1248 and retiring in 2015. Arlelia enjoyed the lifestyle of being a longshoreman. She traveled, purchased everything she ever wanted, spent time with her truest friends and continue to take care of her two girls and grandchildren.

In spite of the constant rejection from her  family, Arlelia still smiled so bright laughed so hard and loved so deeply. She loved her two daughters with every being of her soul and her daughters loved her the same. Her smile and constant stunning appearance also made her stand out in a crowded room. Arlelia was Joy in human form. Later in life, she was happy to just be home with her three babies, Bella, snowball and Indiana. Arlelia is preceded in death by her mother Juanita (Wilkins) Jackson, father James Nelms, Foster Mother Beatrice Brown and a number of foster siblings. She leaves behind her daughters Juanita Asia Miller and Tameika Jones(Chad Elliott), 6 grandchildren Chanse Miller, Arlelia Jones-Harold, Juanita Reynolds, Tameika Miller, Christopher Miller and Chanse Elliott, 7 great grandchildren, sister Laura Gal, Carl Harold and Laura Fleshman whom she adopted later in life, 3 bestest friends and too many other loved ones to possibly name.