Bill Jones, Hero of Donation
Sometimes your personal life and your work life intersect. It happened for me last week when my husband and his colleagues at The Ohio State University Department of Athletics lost a good friend and co-worker to an apparent heart attack.
Bill Jones, son of Lifeline of Ohio founder and CEO Emeritus, Linda Jones
Assistant Athletic Director Bill Jones was only 48 years old. He was eulogized by all as a kind and caring individual devoted to his family, friends, dogs and, of course, The Ohio State University.
Bill was a registered donor and shared the gift of tissue at the time of his death.
What is uniquely significant about Bill’s donation is that his mother, Linda, is the founder and CEO Emeritus of Lifeline of Ohio. A nurse at The Ohio State University Hospital in the early days of the transplant program, Linda’s distinguished career and even her retirement have been devoted to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation.
Working beside Linda I personally witnessed her unwavering commitment to honoring donors and their families. Through the years Linda has held the hand of hundreds of grieving donor mothers. She just never imagined that, one day, she would be a donor mother as well. I have no doubt that even in her pain, she will accept the title with pride and be comforted by the gifts of life her son shared.
Bill Jones touched countless people as an ambassador for The Ohio State University. He will do the same now as a hero of donation.
– Marilyn Pongonis, director of communications