John, known as John Jr. or Johnnie to many friends and family, grew up mainly in Tallahassee, where he attended school, graduating from Leon High in 1954. John met his perfect partner and wife-to-be, Lucy Ann Crandall, in 1957, and they were married in 1959.
After high school, John joined the U.S. Navy Reserve, where he served for three years, and then transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve for five years, including six months of active duty.
John attended Florida State University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology in 1960. Upon graduation, he started his career with the National Weather Service in Atlanta, Georgia.
After 31 years of service, John retired in 1992 as the Deputy Meteorologist-in-Charge of the Atlanta office.
After retiring, John worked part-time for ten years as a forensic meteorologist, providing expert testimony on environmental and legal issues involving previous weather events.
In 2002, John and Lucy decided to move back to the Tallahassee area to be near family and old friends. John was proud of his heritage as a fifth-generation Floridian, and he had the opportunity to build their home in Gadsden County on an old family homestead.
He worked hard and enjoyed taking care of the land, the pond, gardening, planting blueberries, citrus trees, and acres of longleaf pines. He felt most at peace sitting on the porch in the evening with the grandkids while watching lightning from a nearby thunderstorm, or simply being outside mowing or working on his tractor while observing deer and other wildlife—with the possible exception of the armadillos.
John was a Christian of strong faith and was an active member of Centenary United Methodist Church in Quincy. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Lucy; his siblings, Evelyn, Carole, and Kay (Buck); his son, John III (Mingxia); and his daughter, Linda (Tim). John was also a wonderful grandpa to Andrew, Jessica, Jeffrey, Lucia, Savannah, and Waverly. He was preceded in death by his mother, Agnes; father, John; and brother, Sam.
A celebration of life will be held on Friday, April 17, at Centenary United Methodist Church in Quincy, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Centenary United Methodist Church or the Dozier House (Big Bend Hospice) of Tallahassee.
Charles McClellan Funeral Home, Quincy, FL. 850-627-7677.
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