John H. McCranie, 88, of Tifton died Thursday, April 30, 2009, at Golden Living Center. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2009, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. Dr. Wayne Roe and Dr. W. Ches Smith III will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Tony Fleming, Ray Smith, Joseph Mayne, Mark McCranie, Gary McCranie, Robert Hunnicutt, Buck Heard and Tommy Rowell will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Grady Davis, Virgil Mims, Bobby Stone, Ray Hendrick, Leroy Gray, Lynn Jones, Ray Smith, Buddy Kulbersh, Frank Koran, Hiller Gammage and J. D. Lindsey. The family will receive friends on Saturday, May 2, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. McCranie was born on October 14, 1920 in Cook County and was the son of Mark M. McCranie and Belle Roberts McCranie, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Louise Fleming McCranie; four brothers, Gary McCranie, Griggs McCranie, L. B. McCranie and Henry McCranie; and one sister, Edith McCranie Thompson. He was retired from asphalt, concrete and pool construction business. He was a member of Tifton’s First Baptist Church, where he was a member of the Open Door Sunday School Class. He was former president of the Moultrie Rotary Club; a member of the Moultrie VFW; and an honorary life member of the Sunset Country Club in Moultrie. He was a World War II veteran and served in the United States Army Air Corps in the States and the 44th Infantry Division in Europe. He had lived in Tifton for 12 years and lived in Moultrie for 40 years prior to moving to Tifton. He was an avid fisherman and golfer and an avid fan of the Atlanta Braves and the Georgia Bulldogs. He also loved to travel.
Mr. McCranie is survived by his wife, Lenna J. Mayne McCranie of Tifton; two step-sons and their wives, Ricky and Layne Mayne of Tifton and Terry and Sara Jean Mayne of Green Cove Springs, Florida; six grandchildren, Joseph Mayne, Kelli Strickland, Edie Cleghorn, Ashli McDaniel, Chris Hewett and Brandi Bruttomesso; 12 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Flowers will be accepted or gifts may be made to the First Baptist Church of Tifton Building Fund.