John Petty

John was born April 9, 1939 at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia to Mary Viola Ford and Thaddeus Elisha Petty. Upon graduation from Gainesville High in 1957, John received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

During his last year at West Point, John had the privilege of marching in John Kennedy’s inauguration where President Kennedy challenged a generation to “ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”

John graduated in 1961, receiving a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry, beginning a professional career spanning five decades that lived up to that challenge.

Upon graduation, John earned the Parachutist Badge and Ranger Tab and joined the 101st Airborne. In October 1962, while serving with the 101st Airborne, 1LT Petty led a detachment of soldiers who helped support the integration of the University of Mississippi. Just weeks later in middle of the night, John stood ready in southern Florida to parachute into Cuba if needed during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

John left the Army in 1964 to earn an MA in International Relations from the University of Tennessee and pursue a career in government service, joining the Central Intelligence Agency in 1966.

Over a 15-year career with the CIA, John trained anti-communist forces in Laos from 1968 to 1973, served at the American Embassy in Singapore from 1975 to 1977, and served at various domestic assignments.

John resigned from government service in 1981 in order to put down some roots in his native state. Over the next decades, John continued to serve others using his organizational and leadership skills in various non-profit organizations.

As Executive Director of the Atlanta Enterprise Center for 18 years, John built a successful job training and placement program for Atlanta’s homeless.

A remark by a friend captures John’s spirit of perseverance:

He was a marvel of patience bordering on

stubbornness; optimism without bound and an

obvious love for the downtrodden that Christ

would have admired.

John served on the Board of the West Point Society of Atlanta and was awarded the Most Distinguished Graduate Award in 2006 for his work to better the Atlanta community.

John took up the challenge given to him by his commander in cheif in January of 1961 and for over 50 years served his country and his fellow humankind – striving against communism, racism, homelessness.

Found among John’s personal notes written during his last few days battling cancer is the following statement:

My goal for the rest of my life is to serve my fellow human kind and to make a difference in as many lives as possible.

To the very end, John sought to serve others – and even in these last days, John brought joy to his family and friends, making a difference in our lives to the very last.

John is survived by his daughter Page Shepherd 44, his son John Jr. 39, three grandchildren - Thaddaeus 15, Reagan 12, Claire 8, and his beloved wife Beryl, who held his hand as he passed on into God’s hands. He remains in the heart of his first wife Donna, as one of her best friends.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 8th at 1:00pm at Patterson’s Funeral Home on Spring St. A reception will begin prior to the service at 12:00pm.

John will be interred at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY.

In early September, through John’s last professional effort, Veterans Empowerment Organization of Georgia won an initial $250,000 grant to assist homeless veterans in the Atlanta area. Memorial donations may be made in John’s memory to VEO - www.veteransempowerment.org or to Hospice Atlanta, 1244 Park Vista Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319.

Arrangements under the direction of H.M. Patterson & Son, Spring Hill in Atlanta, GA.