A Dream Fulfilled For Judge Jones
Some happy stories have a way of writing themselves. Like this one.
Nineteen days before Christmas, Monroe County Circuit Judge Mark Jones became a father again at the age of 60.
His wife Marleny gave birth to a nine -pound, nine-ounce baby boy at 8:03 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 6.
The boy’s name is John Paul Jones.
The couple’s first son together, Mark Antony, was born on Oct.14, 2011.
Judge Jones’ stepson is Victor Morro, 18. Like his mother, he was born in Colombia and both Marleny and he are U.S. citizens. Victor has graduated from high school and is aiming at a career either in law enforcement or as an EMT.
John Paul Jones is “another gift of God,” his father told Konk Life this week. “Such a blessing that Mark now has a baby brother.”
And he owes, he says, the “utmost gratitude” to Marleny for opening a new window in his life, “giving me the opportunity to meet and fall in love with a woman who fell in love with me and can bear these healthy, strong children.”
Jones admits to “never having felt this level of emotion. The birth of two boys and watching them grow, it’s a kind of absolute love. That’s the truth.” The experience has given him a better understanding of children, “a whole other thing than interacting with other peoples’ kids….Living with and touching these little people broadens my understanding of humanity and of life.”
Reluctant to become overly sentimental, Jones, born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., nevertheless confessed that the most important person in his life has been his mother, the “best teacher I had in life. I absolutely I owe her everything. She was always good at listening and at talking with me.” A stay-at-home mom until her two boys were grown, she later worked in the local school district and was here in Key West just last month, at 83 years old, helping out with the new arrival.
Jones is the longest serving circuit judge in the county; he knows well how to draw the line between his professional and personal life, but he concurs that he can’t expect to get quite as much rest as before and for a while there’ll be less time for fishing.
Marleny, by the way, comes from a family of eight children: that’s seven girls and one boy.
“I feel very blessed in my life,” concludes the judge. “Acting on goals and achieving them are at the root of lasting happiness. And I’ve had a lot of experiences over my six decades. Yet the chance of having more children came to seem ever more unlikely.
“So these children are a blessing.
“The answer to a prayer.
“A dream fulfilled.
“God bless my wife.”
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