In July 2018, Jones began to miss votes due his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In December 2018, he was given a leave of absence for the remainder of the session. In January 2019, he broke his hip. On January 26, 2019, his wife said that he is under hospice care. Jones Jr. died on his 76th birthday in Greenville, North Carolina from complications of the broken hip and ALS.