A lasting legacy that will live on in Carrollwood

Considered the founding father and architect of the Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tom Jones spent years bringing the facility to the heart of the neighborhood and leaves a considerable impact on the community

CARROLLWOOD — Even now that Tom Jones is gone, his fingerprints are still there.

They are metaphorically, but maybe even literally, all over the Carrollwood Cultural Center. He is considered the father of the center located in the heart of Carrollwood Village, going all the way back when the idea started brewing in 1996.

More than a decade later, Jones saw the idea come to fruition when the Center opened its doors in March 2008. Two years later, however, he would move to Texas, though still keep a vigilant tab on the Center and all its productions, camps, events and projects.

“He would get the Center’s brochure mailed to him,” said the Center’s executive director and longtime friend Paul Berg. “He would go through it and see what we were doing and stay up to date with us. He was very proud of the Center.”

Jones died in Texas on July 19. He was 85.