John D. Wait, Jr. passed away on Monday, September 30, at age 78 after a long battle with Parkinson’s. Johnny, as he was known to so many, was a resident of Vestavia Hills, Alabama. John was born September 17, 1941, in Birmingham, Alabama to Mildred and John D. Wait, Sr. He attended Phillips High School and completed a Mechanical Engineering degree from Auburn University. John worked at Caterpillar in Peoria, IL his entire professional life, where he earned multiple patents. An avid race car driver, John was the mechanic, driver, and pit crew for his classic Sunbeam Alpine. He enjoyed racing competitively in SCCA’s F-production class for many years. John also enjoyed golf, and in his later years he could often be found walking his faithful dog Chrissy. He was a Life Member of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and a member of TEAE (Tigers East/Alpines East). John is survived by his daughter, Dr. Terry Klefstad (Kristian), Nashville, TN; son, Scott Wait (Jill), Arvada, CO; sister, Martha McSwain, Birmingham, AL; his nephew, Preston McSwain, Chestnut Hill, MA; and his granddaughters, Alexandra Klefstad, Katherine Klefstad, Natalie Wait, and Allison Wait. Services will be held on Saturday, October 12, 2019. Visitation will be at 1:00pm at Elmwood Chapel with graveside services to follow at 2:00pm at Elmwood Cemetery. A reception is planned after the service.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.johnsridoutselmwoodchapel.com for the Wait, family.
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