Atlease was born on May 27, 1947 to Paul and Evelyn James, of Thomasville, North Carolina. She moved to the city of Winston-Salem as a child.

Atlease accepted Christ at a early age and was baptized at Mars Hill Baptist Church. She received her education in the Winston-Salem Public School system. After graduation she married her high-school sweetheart, Robert Jones, and relocated to Fayetteville, North Carolina after his enlistment. She became a full-time mother and homemaker. The couple gave life to two daughters, Caroline and Brenda. 

Atlease departed this life on June 11, 2022 at her home in Greensboro, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Robert.

She leaves to cherish her memory: her daughters, Brenda of Roanoke, Virginia and Caroline of Danville, Virginia; three grandchildren: Brittany Jones of Danville, Virginia; Devon Jones of Roanoke, Virginia and Brenton Jones of Emporia, Virginia; two great-grandchildren, A'Miyah Jones and Amoni Irving of Danville, Virginia and a list of other relatives and friends.