Darin Lee Jones, 58, passed away on March 26, 2024, at his cottage home at the State Training Center in Parsons, Kansas.

Darin was born in Burlington on December 14, 1965, the fifth son of Donald David and Glenda Kay (Harris) Jones.   He was a happy and energetic child, yet in his early years it was learned that he had a profound developmental disability which would dictate much of the course of his life.   Darin sought his unique path in special education classes at the Burlington schools, at Hetlinger in Emporia, and at Lakemary Center in Paola.  He found his long-term home at the State Training Center in Parsons, where he was blessed with care and friendship from so many wonderful people over the years.

Darin was non-verbal, but he clearly expressed his joy at the things he liked – things such as rides in the car looking for red trucks; shopping at WalMart; getting Potato Locos at Taco Mayo; hanging out with the kitchen ladies at his cottage; solving wood-cut jigsaw puzzles in record time; and listening to all kinds of music, from his mother's renditions of songs from Mary Poppins on the piano, to the Theme from Hawaii 5-0, to the praise tunes that filled his heart at weekly church services in his cottage. Most of all, Darin loved outings with his Mom and Dad, and snuggles from the ladies in his family during visits.

Darin was preceded in death by his brother, Scott Harris Jones in 1971; his father, Don Jones in 2002; and his mother, Glenda Jones in 2019.  He is survived by his brothers, Chris Jones and Andrea, Lane Jones and Cindy, and Brad Jones and Darla, all of Burlington, and many nieces and nephews.  His loss will be felt by his many kind caretakers at PSHTC, to whom Darin's family is boundlessly grateful.