With knee pads on and his old film Canon camera in hand, Dr. Mike Jones took his position near the start line at the Moccasin Bend Cross Country Race Course, holding his breath, waiting for the starter's pistol to sound, waiting to snap the perfect shot.
 
For many years, Dr. Jones could be found zigzagging along the course snapping photos of the Chattanooga Mocs cross country teams and traveling to track events to record history. When the race was over, he made his way around the crowd to congratulate each student-athlete and offer a bite sized Milky Way.
 
Long-time Chattanooga cross country and track head coach Bill Gautier reflected on Dr. Jones' relationship with the university, the department and his family.
 
"Doc was somewhere between everybody's grandfather and chaplain," Gautier said. "He was that steady calming factory in everybody's life whether it was academically, athletically or spiritually. He had that way of making you feel important. He was there to give that kind word, that Milky Way.
 
"There was that connection with Doc that we were fortunate to have. I was blessed to be part of his life and that he was part of mine. He helped me raise my daughters, he was my friend. He was my family."
 
Jones served as the Chattanooga Faculty Athletics Representative for more than a decade and was selected to the Southern Conference All-Faculty Team in 2016.
 
His son Michael, Jr., offered these words on his father's life:
 
Michael Hilton Jones, age 83, died peacefully on Thursday, June 28, 2018 in Abilene, Texas.
 
He was a Professor of Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for 42 years. Prior to that position, he worked for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, the EPA, and one year as visiting faculty at North Carolina State University, where he earned the Bachelor's, Master's and PhD in Aeronautical Engineering.
 
He was born to Grover and Blanche Perry Jones on July 1, 1934 in High Point, N.C., and was the third of four sons. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Powell, Perry, and Roger, and by his wife Lela. He married Lela Mae Cagle on June 7, 1958. He was a faithful and loving caretaker for his wife, who was ill for many years.
 
An engaging and beloved professor, Dr. Jones served as the UTC's College of Engineering and Computer Science Director of Freshman Engineering, a volunteer coach of UTC men's and women's track and cross country teams, and the Director of Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Environmental, and Industrial Engineering.
 
It was under his leadership that the Mechanical, Civil, and Chemical Engineering programs received program approval from the Tennessee Higher Education Council and obtained their first program accreditation from the Accrediting Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET).
 
Better known as "Tennessee Jones," Dr. Jones received over 20 internal and external awards for his outstanding teaching, served as UTC's Faculty Representative to the Southern Conference, and led the campus's efforts to establish a student chapter of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. 
 
A memorial service for Dr. Jones will be held Saturday, July 14 at Red Bank Baptist Church located at 4000 Dayton Blvd. at 2:00 p.m. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for contributions to the University of Chattanooga Foundation to benefit the Michael Jones Annual Scholarship.