John A Riordan Sr.

John Allen Riordan, Sr., aged 75, passed away in the early morning of June 11, 2024. He was born to William Joseph Riordan and Margaret Kearney Riordan on May 13, 1949, as a fourth generation, pioneer family in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Big John” as he was known by friends and family or “Papa John” as he was known to his twenty grandchildren, graduated from Marist High School in 1967. He attended West Georgia College where he was President of the Student Council, Senior Class President, a member of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and a founding member of the Cavaliers fraternity (now Pi Kappa Alpha). After leaving college, he founded a successful security, fire, and access control business which he ran for over 40 years.

John loved his Catholic faith beginning with his baptism and grade school days at Christ the King and continuing with numerous parish and charity events throughout the years. He had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and never passed up an opportunity to share it.

John absolutely enjoyed life and lived it with passion. He never met a stranger and anyone who met him never forgot him. His interests were eclectic ranging from magic tricks, to shooting black powder rifles, to creating balloon animals, to hunting wild boar. He had an affinity for all things Irish, including the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, a Riordan family tradition, started by John and ongoing for over 40 years. He enjoyed reading success books, interesting stories, off-color jokes, the front porch, afternoons at the lake, good food, fresh air, and anything to do with holistic health. What he loved more than anything was spending time with his grandchildren.

John is preceded in death by his parents and survived by his spouse Susan Mehlinger Riordan and his sister Peggy Riordan Mead (Jason). He is also survived by his six children John Allen Riordan, Jr. (Angela), Michael Patrick Riordan (Robbin), William Mehlinger Riordan (Victoria), Margaret Riordan Schupp (Matthew), Sarah Riordan Stringer (Stephen), and Taylor Stokes Riordan (Ashley), as well as his twenty grandchildren Helen Elizabeth Riordan, John Allen Riordan, III, Amelia Renee Riordan, and Anna Marion Riordan, Michael Patrick Riordan, Jr., Sarah Margaret Riordan, Thomas Joseph Riordan, and Mary Elizabeth Riordan, Anastasia Sophia Riordan and William Joseph Riordan, Caroline Elizabeth Schupp, Samuel Riordan Schupp, Abigail Marie Schupp and Stella Cecilia Schupp, and Stephen Matthew Stringer, Jr., Katherine Elizabeth Stringer, Mary Margaret Stringer, Susan Grace Stringer, Joan Marie Stringer and Agnes Clare Stringer.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, June 14th at 2:00pm at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, Georgia. A burial service will immediately follow at Arlington Cemetery in Sandy Springs, Georgia.