John Summerville Sr

John was born to Mary Lewis on May 19, 1931. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, John led a life of service and comradery. While attending Hooper City High school, he was an active member of both the track and football teams. Upon graduation from H.S. he attended one of the most prestigious of HBCU’s in the United States, The Tuskegee Institute. Heeding to the needs of the country, John joined the Air Force in January of 1951 and served gallantly in the Korean War. While serving in the armed forces, John received the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. Always one to make clear and decisive declarations, he married the love of his life Doris Hickman on August 16, 1953 – after courting her for only 4 months. Upon completion of an honorable tour of duty, John and Doris relocated to NYC to launch their careers and raise a family. John accepted a position as a conductor for the nations’ largest rapid transit system - the NYC MTA. There he served dutifully as a conductor for 20 years. John and Doris settled in Queens NY and went on to raise 3 loving sons, John Jr., Michael & Darryl. Upon retiring from 20 years of service with the MTA, John and Doris returned to their beloved Alabama and where they immediately rejoined Oak Street Baptist church. Again being called to serve, John held the position of Trustee. Retirement was not enough to keep John inactive. In addition to his responsibilities at the church, John went to “the office” daily. “The office” is the local McDonald’s where he and his buddies would convene to discuss family, sports and politics. John was proud of his boys and grand kids and enjoyed talking about them. Along with sports, John loved the outdoors, hunting and music. His extensive album collection includes everything from Jazz to Blues and serves as a reminder of his love of a wide range of musical compositions. John would spend most of his time outdoors building, gardening or simply enjoying the company of his wife Doris on the front porch of their home. Although he never killed anything, he enjoyed time spent with his buddies hunting. John’s nickname “MacGyver” suited him best…because there wasn’t anything that John couldn’t build, repair or alter for better use. Fourteen months ago, John and Doris decided to move to Charlotte, NC to be close to family. During this time, John was able to rekindle his love for sports by watching his grandsons play baseball, football and run track. His grandsons could always look up into the stands and see their “Papa John” cheering them on. He leaves to cherish is memories, his wife Doris, three sons, John Jr. (Jo-Ann), Michael (Carol) and Darryl (Andrea) and six grandchildren; Aliya, Amber, Dominique, Nigel, Jordan and Mya; and a long list of family and friends.

John Summerville Sr

May 19, 1931 - November 21, 2015