Obituary of Jonathan A Vaughters, Sr.

A ‘Jewel’ Remembered Jonathan Antonio Vaughters, Sr., the son of (the late) Rev. Horace Matthew Vaughters, Sr and Bishop Beatrice Vaughters, was born on November 25, 1976 in Salisbury, NC. He departed this life to his eternal heavenly home on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Jonathan attended the Davie County Public School System and received his High School diploma from Davie County High School in Mocksville, NC in 1995. He went on to attend Winston Salem State University in Winston Salem, NC where he played football (on scholarship). In 1999, he received dual degrees, one in Accounting and the other in Management Information Systems. It was at this esteemed HBCU in the year of 1998 that he met the apple of his eye…the lily of his valley…the cream in his coffee – his wife, DeShanna (better known as, Shanny). After dating for about two years, it was on May 19, 2000 that Jonathan and Shanny were joined together in Holy matrimony. Jonathan spent the majority of his career in the IT industry where he managed network operations for health care and property management organizations. His entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to ownership and partnership in several business ventures. He was a natural born leader who was blessed with wisdom and knowledge beyond his years. His smile was contagious and would light up any room he entered. Jonathan never met a stranger, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. He was a rarely found jewel that everyone loved to be around! Jonathan loved to do many things; however, it was sports, traveling and exotic fish collecting that found a special place in his heart. Jonathan was ordained Minister while serving the Ambassadors for Jesus Christ ministry in Cleveland, NC. In 2010, Jonathan and his family moved to NJ where they joined and served at Bethany Baptist Church, under the leadership of Bishop David G. Evans. In 2014, Jonathan received his Master of Arts in Religion degree from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2016, Jonathan was elevated to 2nd Assistant to the Bishop, and was ordained Reverend in 2017. Though he served as the iPastor to Bethany’s internet church community and Co-Director of the Linked Couples Ministry, he was truly a servant-leader that was always willing to fill in wherever needed. Jonathan and Shanny were inseparable! More times than not…if you saw him, you saw her. He was a loving husband and father who adored Shanny and their three children: Jonathan, Jr (Jay-Jay), Jaden, and Jaila. He loved being silly with the kids by reminding them of his swag and showing them he could keep up with any new dance moves created. He also made them laugh by talking to them using many of ‘their’ current slang words of today. The more you told him he wasn’t ‘doing’ or ‘saying it’ right, the more he did it. He specialized in ‘doing it wrong’ in order to keep you laughing! Jonathan is preceded in death by his father, the late Rev. H. Matthew Vaughters, Sr. He is survived by his wife of almost 21 years (Shanny), sons Jay-Jay and Jaden, and only daughter, Jaila. He also leaves to cherish, his mother, Bishop Beatrice Vaughters; brothers Bishop H. Matthew Vaughters, Jr (Mashunda) and Jared Vaughters (Carol); sisters Myra Vaughters and Tiffany Vaughters; nephews Ronald Wilson, Jr, Ahmazin Crump, Jared Vaughters, Jr, Jairus Vaughters; nieces Tomorrow Vaughters, Rihonna Wilson, Ja’Mariee Vaughters, Vivian Vaughters; mother-in-love Teresa Torres; brothers-in-love Troy Foster and Greg Coleman; sisters-in-love Tracy Goodson and Gail Watkins…and a host of god-children, aunts, uncles, cousins, church family and dear friends.