He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, as well as a loyal friend to those who knew him. He is predeceased by his cherished wife of 58 years, Ruth Astin Lovejoy. He is survived by his daughters and their husbands, Lynda and Gary Schofield and Barbara and Bill Coates; grandchildren Jeanette, Kathy, Samantha Schofield, Justin Coates, Kevin and Amanda Coates; and one great grandchild, Amelia Jones, daughter of Kathy. He is predeceased by his parents Burton and Elvie Heard Lovejoy and siblings Eugene, Elvie Keresey (Phil), and Katherine.
John, a rare Atlanta native, was born on April 1, 1919. He had many memories of growing up in Atlanta and seeing all the changes of 100 years. He was a life-long member of Jackson Hill Baptist Church where he joined as a young boy and served as a deacon and church treasurer. He served in the United States Army in the Philippines and New Guinea during World War II. Following the war, he worked for the Veteran’s Administration and graduated from Georgia State College of Business Administration night division where he met his future wife, Ruth, and was active in his fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. He worked for the Internal Revenue Service until his retirement in 1980. As a devoted Daddy and Granddaddy, he was always patient, gentle and easy to please, teaching by his example and generous service to others. He was an ardent fan of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. He loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his family.
A visitation will be on Wednesday, September 4 from 4 to 8 p.m. at HM Patterson and Son- Spring Hill. The going home service will be on Thursday, September 5 at 11:00 a.m. at HM Patterson and Son- Spring Hill.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be sent to Jackson Hill Baptist Church, 1585 S. Ponce DeLeon Ave., NE, Atlanta, GA 30307 or Alzheimer’s Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, PO Box 1950, Clarksburg, MD 20871-1950.
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