Frances Lee Jones, a retired federal worker, died of heart failure Friday at Howard County General Hospital. The longtime Catonsville resident, who had moved last year to Heartlands Retirement Community in Ellicott City, was 77.

Mrs. Jones was an administrative assistant for the Social Security Administration's Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment. She began her career at the Woodlawn office in 1967 and retired in 1999.

Born Frances Lee Walker in Charlotte, N.C., she moved to Baltimore with her parents in the 1930s. She attended public schools and earned her General Educational Development diploma. She later studied at what is now Morgan State University.

In 1945, she married the Rev. George W. Jones, a city schools vice principal and pastor of Mount Olivet Christian Church in West Baltimore. He died last year.

Mrs. Jones was active in her husband's church choir and Sunday school. She was also a church elder.

Services will be held at noon today at 12th Street Christian Church, 1812 12th St. N.W., Washington.

She is survived by three daughters, Marsha Johnson of Aurora, Colo., Cynthia Sorrell of Ellicott City and Charlotte Jackson of Catonsville; and six grandchildren.