John Robert Mcclanahan

View Funeral Webcast John Robert McClanahan, 72, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday, July 31, 2009 at his residence on Dowell Branch Road. Funeral services will be conducted Monday at 2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Bill Williamson, Rev. Steve Thomas, and Rev. James Lunsford officiating. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens with military honors at graveside provided by the U. S. Air Force Honor Guard and Taps played by the Boy Scout Color Guard. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Oakes & Nichols and one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church Scholarship Fund for Camp NaCoMe, 801 South High Street, Columbia 38401; Boy Scouts of America, Duck River District, 3414 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville 37215; or American Cancer Society, Maury County Unit, P. O. Box 1864, Columbia 38402. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com.John was born April 4, 1937 in Helena, Alabama to the late Joseph Neil McClanahan and Erma Mildred Nunnaly McClanahan, but spent most of his life in Columbia. He graduated from Isaac Litton High School in Nashville in 1955 and Tennessee Tech University in 1960 with a degree in Industrial Technology. He attained the rank of Captain in the U. S. Air Force serving with the 556th Strategic Missile Squadron in Plattsburg, New York from 1961 to 1965 and remained in the Air Force Reserves until 1972. For 33 years, he served as field supervisor for the Tennessee Department of Human Services until his retirement in 1999. He was a member and active in the affairs of First Presbyterian Church.He was an avid outdoorsman and shared his love and knowledge of hunting and fishing with his children, grandchildren, and friends and was a Hunter Safety Survival Techinques Instructor for many years. He shared his love of God, country, and nature with countless young men during his 35 plus years as Scout Master with the Boy Scouts of America and was instrumental in assisting numerous scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout. In 1985, through his leadership, Troup 109 completed community service projects to earn money to provide fruit baskets to needy families in the area. Over the years, this project grew and combined with other programs to become the Maury County Community Christmas Program that now provides gifts to an average of 2200 children each year. In 1974, he was honored with the coveted Scouting Long Rifle Award.He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Potts McClanahan, whom he married September 20, 1980; daughters, Kimberly Lee (Mark) Thomason of Cookeville and Michele Lynn (Chris) Adcock of Campbellsville; son, John Robert (Angie) McClanahan, Jr. of Santa Fe; step-son, Steven Darrell Hanvy of Columbia; 13 grandchildren, Jack Christopher Thomason, Paul Dustin Thomason, Jennifer Elizabeth Thomason, Hannah Lynn Adcock, Clara Winifred Adcock, Alexander Isiah John Adcock, Carter Eli McClanahan, Lucas Reid McClanahan, Westin Knox McClanahan, Daryl Hanvy, Jr., Cameron Thomas Hanvy, Dylan DeWayne Hanvy, and Andrew Christian Hanvy; sisters, Mary Grace Damiano of Elijay, Georgia and Nancy (Bill) Hayes of Sale Creek; numerous nieces and nephews.In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Winifred Flowers, brother, Joseph Neil McClanahan, Jr., grandson, Shawn Thomason, and niece, Joan Flowers.Active pallbearers are long-time friends Michael Mitchell, Eric Ivey, Gillie Mac Orr, Turner Jones, Freddie "Chip" Bray, and John Satterwhite. Honorary pallbearers include former Boy Scouts and friends in the "Wednesday Night Feed."