Louis Harold Jones ''Louie,'' 90 of Freeport, died February 17 after complications from surgery. Louie was born January 22, 1934, in Rugby, Texas, to his parents, Joe John and Lillie Mae Jones. He joined his siblings JoMarie and Bettie and as such, was the first-born son. Later he was joined by little sister Norma and baby brother Paul, rounding out the Jones brood of five.

After living in northeast Texas for years, the family migrated to greater Brazosport in the 1940s to join in the industrial growth of the area at the time. He attended schools in both West Columbia and Freeport, where he graduated early from Brazosport High School in 1950, having been allowed to skip a grade. He met his wife Hazel Fowler as a teenager at the local movie theater and they married in 1951. Louis and Hazel settled in Freeport where they raised their own brood consisting of Glen Lee, Brenda Sue, Louis Jr. and David Wayne.

Louie had an amazing work ethic starting back when he was a paper boy in Rugby - and that work ethic led him to founding Jones and Picard Construction with his best friend and business partner, Jake Picard, in 1958. Together they forged a Freeport mainstay in the commercial and business construction business. Jones & Picard eventually became Freeport Constructors, and as time went on, Louie founded other businesses and was involved with numerous other enterprises.

Louis was also an elected official, serving on the Brazos River Harbor Navigation District (now Port Freeport) board of commissioners for years as well as the Velasco Drainage District Board for many years, where he was integral in the permitting and construction of the local levee system. He was Chairman of the Board at First State Bank during its early years and was one of the founding members of Brazosport Economic Development Co., which later morphed into the ''Alliance.'' Louie served many years on the Brazosport Chamber of Commerce Board, including as President. He was also named Man of the Year.

He, along with Franz June and others, were the founders and charter members of the Associated Building Contractors of the Texas Gulf Coast. Further, there was no other program like it in the US; thus, he traveled all over the industrial US to help develop other chapters. Louis was the author of the original ABC carpentry curriculum, was on the National and State Boards of ABC as well as being named Mr. ABC of the Texas Gulf Coast. Along the way, the Contractors Safety Council was founded. Through his association with ABC, he got involved in lobbying and even lobbied at the Federal level. His family believes that among his many accomplishments, he was proudest of the work he did with ABC.

Louie was also a licensed pilot and was integrally involved in the establishment of Brazoria County Airport where he served as the manager for several years in the latter part of his career. His hobbies included flying, hunting and fishing - both onshore and off-shore.

He will be remembered for his devotion to his family, his success as a businessman, his competitive nature as a skilled negotiator, his contributions to our community, his amazing memory - often correcting others who quoted historical ''misinformation'' - and his direct, but polite, communication style.

Louie was preceded in death by his precious wife, Hazel, and his beloved son, Louis Jr. He was also preceded in death by his parents and his siblings. He is survived by his children Glen (Linda), Brenda (John) and David (Dianna) as well as his grandchildren Jessica (Paul), Danielle (Mike), Blake (Blaire), Seth (Erin), Dustin, Brandy (David) and Jonathan (Anna), and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services are planned for Saturday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m. preceded by a public visitation at 1 p.m. at Lakewood Funeral Chapel on Dixie Drive in Lake Jackson.