John Compton Jr.

John Compton Jr. was born across the road from Bayou Boeuf in Rapides Parish, where his family had deep roots as a pioneer family on September 14, 1935. He died Saturday, March 26, 2022. He had no middle initial, which was traditional for the long line of John Comptons in his family. He grew up on his family's farm in Cheneyville, where he graduated from Cheneyville High School and played baseball and basketball. John left home for LSU in 1953, where he majored in Agricultural Economics. He became a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and one of the infamous LSU Samurais. He loved his college days and often said if he had had any more fun, he wouldn't have graduated. He met his wife, Fannie Samuel, at an Episcopal Student Center mixer before she had even attended her first freshman class. They were married right after graduation in 1959 and immediately headed to Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia to fulfill John's military obligation, which was supposed to be two years. It was cut short due to the death of his father-in law when he realized that his wife needed to be with her mother. So, he decided to complete his military obligation by committing himself to a lengthy period of Army Reserve duty. This ended up being a blessing in disguise, because John ended up enjoying the camaraderie of the reserve, where he made lifelong friends: Dave Warrington, Shelby Hargrove, and Ron Thompson. By the time John retired from the reserves, he had reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Returning to Baton Rouge, as befitting his degree, he went to work for the state's Agriculture Department under then commissioner Dave Pierce. Mr. Pierce had an inborn love of people that matched John's and the two of them traveled the state, hitting every small town and appearing on local TV and doing radio spots to promote Louisiana's agricultural products. Together, they became the public faces of the Agriculture Department. Later, when Bob Odom was elected Commissioner, he asked John to become his Deputy. John continued to travel the state and was so well known and liked that he was elected and re-elected several times as a representative to the Deferred Compensation Board, which handled the retirement funds for all state employees. For his retirement, John was thrown an epic party, where a staggering number of guests came from across the state in the middle of a thunderstorm; mountains of jambalaya were eaten and speeches were made with spontaneous interruptions of good humor, making it a memorable night. He was an active member of St. James Episcopal Church, where he served on the vestry, was a frequent usher, and he and his wife ran the foyer group dinners for over 20 years. He was a member of The Baton Rouge Assembly, The Baton Rouge Country Club and then The City Club, The Society of Colonial Wars, and several dance clubs. He was the president of The Greater Baton Rouge Dyslexia Association. John sat on the Soil and Water Conservation Board for over 30 years and he continued to sit on the Deferred Compensation Board for many years after his retirement. John loved his career and his social life, but he was first and foremost a family man. He was a loving father who was very involved in all aspects of his children's lives and took an active role in their education by sitting on several boards for their schools and being a key fundraiser. These included The Brighton School, All Saints Episcopal School in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Evergreen Presbyterian Life Services in Pineville, Louisiana. In 2019, Fannie and John celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary surrounded by family and friends. The couple always had a wonderful time dancing, trying new foods, and discussing the political landscape of their beloved state. He will be missed more than words can say. John is survived by his wife, Fannie, the Madame, of 62 years, his son John Compton III, his daughters Frances Compton Rambo (Rick) and his Bethie Boo, Elizabeth Compton. He is also survived by his two grandchildren: John Compton Rambo and Rachel Lauren Rambo. He is preceded in death by his parents, Elizabeth Coleman Compton and John Compton Sr., and a slew of loving animals. A memorial service will be held this Saturday, April 2nd, at St. James Episcopal Church, with visitation starting at 11:30 a.m., followed by a service at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions in John's memory can be made to Evergreen Life Services, 920 Main Street, Pineville, LA 71360.