John McLaurin Allred
John Allred, husband, father, grandfather, and friend, went peacefully to the Lord at his home in Lockhart on Aug. 19, 2010. John was born in Hattiesburg, Miss., the son of Rozelle Magee and John Allred, on Jan. 27, 1934. He was raised in the small town of Collins, Miss.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Patricia (“Pat”); son, John M. Allred, III, and wife, Ann
a, of Bay Center, Wash., son, Duncan and wife, Carie, of City by the Sea, Texas, and son, Parker, of Lockhart. He is also survived one grandchild, Aiden Arianna Allred, of Bay Center, Wash., and by many close cousins.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lynn Kuhlman Allred; his parents; and his sister, Martha Allred Stennis.
In 1951, John graduated from Collins High School and enrolled in the University of Mississippi, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics and Math. After a stint in the United States Navy, he returned to Ole Miss for a graduate degree in Physics and Math. He later earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Houston, Clear Lake.
The U.S. Navy trained John to be a carrier fighter pilot preceding his service in the Atlantic Fleet. He continued his Navy career at Pensacola, where he became a primary flight instructor. He was stationed in Corpus Christi, and Kingsville, Texas, and Chincoteague, Va.
John began his professional career as a research engineer at the Martin Co. in Orlando, Fla., in 1963. He worked with various aerospace companies, and in the oil industry with Aramco, until his retirement from Lockheed, at Austin in 1994.
A love of music, literature, the arts, the church and the stage gave John an outlet for his many wonderful talents. He almost continually served on governing boards of the local Episcopal churches from 1968-1994, both in Nassau Bay and Lockhart. He was an active stage performer at Ole Miss, at the Clear Creek Country Theatre in League City, Texas, and at the Lockhart Community Theater.
He was a professionally trained operatic tenor, performing in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
Retirement afforded John the time to serve his community on various City boards, and ultimately as Mayor from 1996-1999.
A Son of the South, John’s gentility endeared him to everyone who knew him. He was immensely proud of his wife and children and their achievements. He was a gentle patriarch, with a dry wit, a great sense of humor and much wisdom. John never bragged, but on a starlit night over a campfire in his beloved Big Bend, and with some slight encouragement from a small dram of Knob Creek, he could be coaxed into sharing just some of the incredible stories of his life.
John’s gentle personality allowed folks of many diverse viewpoints to come together and
work for the betterment of any organization he was involved with. His term as mayor dealt with many tough issues, and he always reminded those with whom he served that we could agree to disagree and still treat each other with courtesy and respect. It was a wonderful gift given to few.
John had a keen and discerning mind. He never stopped learning. An encyclopedic knowledge of the American Civil War, of English history, and of the genealogy of his beloved Allred ancestors guaranteed that anyone so inclined could spend hours with John and leave feeling enriched by the experience.
A memorial service for John will be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Lockhart, Texas, on Sept. 11, 2010, at 10 a.m. His love for his beloved Mississippi (and of the throwing arms of the Manning men – Go Ole Miss!) and the Big Bend of Texas were enduring.
Memorial contributions may be made to Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the Gaslight- Baker Theatre, or the charity of your choice.
