John William Best

John William Best, a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend, departed life peacefully at home on April 9th, with his beloved little bride of 56 years, Mattie Ross, at his side. In 1967, he met and fell in love with a skinny country girl named Jean from near Dardanelle in Yell County, hence the special nickname Mattie Ross.

John, or Johnny as he was affectionately known, never met a stranger. He graduated from high school in North Little Rock in 1958. Entered the Navy shortly thereafter, serving in Vietnam as a UDT. Came home to teach Scuba, and began a Law Enforcement career that lasted 29 years in service at both the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office and ended with his retirement from the Little Rock Police Department. Worried he would be bored in retirement, he started a second career as a small business owner in the emerging Satellite television business, where he worked until the call of the wild led him to his final retirement in 2007. That call of the wild was to travel with his little bride, and enjoy the great outdoors with his son Shawn. John was an avid fisherman, hunter, scuba diver, and Million Mile Harley rider, and he passed those loves on to both his son and granddaughters. He was a proud member of the National Park Church in Hot Springs, and most Sundays, you could find him sitting next to his little bride or in the atrium, keeping his policeman's eye on the world with one of his many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Grover and Marjorie Best, 3 brothers and their spouses, Ken (Tommie), Eddie (Pat), and Jerry (Maurice), and nieces Debra, Carol, and nephews Marty, Michael, Thomas, Kyle, and Roger.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Jean; one son, Shawn, of Benton; three granddaughters, Kylie, Gaby, and Kendall, and their mother, Meredith; brother-in-law, John Miller, and his wife, Ann, of Merrick, New York; sister-in-law, Phyllis Miller, of Beebe; and numerous very special nieces and nephews.

Graveside service will be at Pinecrest Memorial Park, 7401 Hwy 5 N, Alexander, AR. 72002 on April 15th at 2:00.

In lieu of flowers, the family would ask that any memorials be made to the National Park Church building fund, 320 Lakeshore Drive, Hot Springs, AR. 71913