Charles H. Jones died on Oct. 9, 2017 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 100.

He was born in Winston-Salem, N.C. on April 22, 1917 to Emma and CH Jones.

Charles Jones, or Cee Jay as he was affectionately known, was raised in Winston-Salem and attended Talladega College in Alabama. He moved to Harlem, N.Y. in 1942 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943. He was discharged from the Marine Corps in 1946.

Mr. Jones was preceded in death by his first wife, Thelma Morgan, and second wife, Mavis Jones, who he remained with until her death.

While in New York, Mr. Jones worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 39 years. He ultimately became a supervisor and retired in 1982. He moved to Oak Bluffs permanently in 1989 after visiting the Island for decades prior. In Oak Bluffs, Cee Jay quickly became a town fixture. He volunteered in the town’s information booth for over a decade, and as a crossing guard at the Oak Bluffs School. He joined a number of Island clubs and organizations and made a multitude of friends and admirers. He became known as the unofficial mayor of Oak Bluffs due to his pleasant demeanor, personal charm and knowledge of Martha’s Vineyard.

In 2012 he was awarded the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal for his military service — the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Cee Jay is survived by his grandchildren, Charles Jones 4th, Darryl Jones, Cheryl Jones and Chauncey Jones and his wife Sarah, all of Winston-Salem; great-grandchildren Porsche Jones, Shawn Brooks, Alasha Jones, Kenneth Anderson, Ryan Johnson, Jacob Jones, Sudan Jones, Olivia Jones, Chloe Jones, and Kelvin Jones; and 10 great-great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Oak Bluffs on Monday, August 13 at 10 a.m. with military honors provided by the Veterans of Martha’s Vineyard.