John Petty’s first career in government service helped fuel his second one in public service, said his son, and namesake, John Petty Jr.
John Petty Sr., a West Point graduate, served in the U.S. Army from 1961 until 1964, when he went back to school to get a master’s degree in international relations. He then spent more than 15 years working for the CIA, before he retired in 1981. It was then that Mr. Petty put all of his energy into something he was truly passionate about, helping others, his son said.
“He’s always been very people oriented, so this was really a continuation of his previous work, to an extent,” Mr. Petty said of his father.
Mr. Petty said his father's military career greatly influenced his second career, as most of it was geared toward helping veterans, and others, find work and shelter.
“He realized how many of our veterans are coming back [from deployments] and being neglected,” said his wife Beryl Grall-Petty. “He knew something had to be done.”
For the better part of 20 years, Mr. Petty assisted in job training and placement for Atlanta's homeless as the executive director of the Atlanta Enterprise Center, now known as the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency, after a merger with Samaritan House of Atlanta.
John Petty Jr. said he thinks his dad’s work overseas and with people who had limited resources, added to his passion at the Enterprise Center.
“He and many of his colleagues felt for those who had been displaced,” his son said. “He was always working to help each individual.”
John Rife Petty Sr., of Decatur, died Sept. 29 at Hospice Atlanta from complications of gastric cancer, his son said. He was 72. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, at H.M. Patterson and Son, Spring Hill Chapel. Burial will be at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. H.M. Patterson & Son, is in charge of arrangements.
Jeff Muir, who was a board member of the Enterprise Center, when Mr. Petty was the executive director, said his friend saw potential in everyone.
“He recognized that people can get into bad situations and just need a helping hand,” Mr. Muir said. “A hand up, you know? And he really enjoyed his work.”
The enthusiasm that he had for helping the homeless was “really something to behold,” said Ted Pound, a board member of the Self Sufficiency center.
“He was a fella that walked the walk,” he said. “Going from the world of military and intelligence to helping the most needy among us, is a very beautiful thing. True Christian compassion, and he really was a tireless worker for the least among us.”
Mr. Petty is also survived by a daughter Page Shepherd of Jacksonville, Fla. and three grandchildren.
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