Tucker, John

TUCKER, Jr., John Pierce

Loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather John Pierce Tucker, Jr. of Gillsville, GA, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on May 23, 2023, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. He was 79 years old.

Born to Dr. John Pierce Tucker, Sr. and Isabel Slade Tucker on July 18, 1943, in Moultrie, John grew up in Bainbridge and Moultrie as the first of five siblings. From an early age, young "Johnny" excelled in the classroom and developed a lifelong love of sports, particularly baseball, which he would follow enthusiastically all his life. John graduated Phi Beta Kappa in History from Emory University in 1965 (member, DVS and ODK societies and ATO fraternity). In 1966 John joined the US Navy and thereafter was deployed to Vietnam where his US Navy unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation for valor (unit equivalent of the Navy Cross).

After returning from Vietnam, John worked as a speechwriter for Governor Carl Sanders in 1970, and enrolled at the University of Virginia School of Law, in 1971. During these years he married Charlotte Dekle and became a devout born-again Christian, a faith that sustained John for the rest of his life. They had two sons Hanes and Ashford whom they loved very much.

John was admitted to the Georgia Bar on September 1, 1974, and he practiced law for the next 37 years mainly in Atlanta and Blue Ridge. John was a skillful orator and possessed a quick legal mind. One of the most impactful cases of his career was spearheading on behalf of Fannin County the first successful opposition to a railroad abandonment anywhere in the United States (after 300 or more failed attempts by others), thereby clearing the way for the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway which today welcomes 78,000 passengers annually. Throughout his legal career, John always was willing to lend his time and skills to underdogs and worked tirelessly providing legal advice to nonprofits and individuals in need.

Following a divorce from Charlotte in 1992, John moved to Blue Ridge and would meet Delores Olivia Wilson Hill, who spoke at his church about her missionary work in Bangladesh and Thailand. The two were married in 1998, and John was welcomed into Delores' large family, through which many grandchildren and great-grandchildren would become the joys of John's life for the next 25 years. After much cajoling, Delores took John on a mission trip to India for 18 months, spanning 2004-2005, which he often later recounted as the happiest time of his life.

In February 2012, John retired from the practice of law due to combined hearing loss from his time in Vietnam and more recent encroaching vision impairment. John's faith nevertheless buoyed him, and he remained fiercely optimistic for the rest of his life. Whenever asked how he was doing, John always replied, "Better than I deserve."

John is survived by his wife, Delores Olivia Wilson Hill Tucker; children and stepchildren: Hanes Tucker (Desiree Cross), Ashford Tucker (Claire Cunningham), Deangela (Patrick) Chastain, Daniel (Karen) Hill, David Hill, Redmond (Lacey) Hill; siblings: Thomas (Nan) Tucker, Sally (George) Lee, George (Janet) Tucker, and Robert (Corbin) Tucker; grandchildren: Nathan (Esmaela) Chastain, Jordan Chastain, Colin Hill, Katie (Ethan) Jackson, Aaron (Isabel) Chastain, Roland (Maria) Chastain, Miriam Chastain, Zollie Chastain, Asa Chastain, Jubilee Chastain, Schroeder Cross-Dunn, Kendall (Taylor) Durkee, Daniel Hill, Dylan Hill, Amanda Hill, Caleb Hill, Olivia Hill, and Vivian Hill; great-grandchildren: Adora Jackson, Amalie Jackson, Aria Jackson, Aravis Jackson, Elias Chastain, Mary Chastain, and Silas Chastain; nieces and nephews: Avery (David) Fontaine, Slade Tucker, Bronson (Elley) Lee, Jonathan Lee, George (Chelsea) Tucker, Michael (Amanda) Tucker, Jennifer (Ben) Hoffer, and Kelly (John) Lindsey; and a devoted black cat named Mort.

In lieu of flowers, consider donating to the Moultrie-Colquitt County Alumni Scholarship Fund which John helped found/support with his oldest friend Pete Sayeski together with John Carlton, Jimmy Jeter, Patrick Mobley, and others. More information is available at (229) 228-5088.

Graveside Services will be held Wednesday May 31, 2023, at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA, and attendees should arrive promptly at 1:30 PM. Little & Davenport Funeral Home, in Gainesville, GA, is in charge of the arrangements.

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Funeral Home Information

Little-Davenport Funeral Home

355 Dawsonville Highway Southwest

Gainesville, GA