Mr. John L. Puddister

Retired FBI Agent and longtime Jackson resident, John L. Puddister has passed away at the age of 88. He was a man who enjoyed life and he lived it with dignity, purpose and, above all, with a sense of humor.

He was born on July 19, 1922 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to George and Anna Puddister. He was the second of seven children. His mother had immigrated to Boston from the town of Kinsale in County Cork, Ireland in 1908.

His first love was music. He was an accomplished trombone player during high school and he retained an affection for marshal music all of his life. After graduating from Cambridge High and Latin School, he worked for a short time in the bookkeeping department of a local delivery express company. From January, 1943 to December, 1945 he served in the United States Navy in the South Pacific. His most significant duty was as a radio operator on a communications team on detached duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. He saw action at the battles of Tarawa, Pelilu, Kawajilen and Okinawa.

Following the war, he returned home to find that his job at the express company had been filled so he struck out for Washington, D.C. to start a new life. He found employment as a Fingerprint Clerk in the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1948, he met and married Evelyn Simmons, a FBI Clerk/Typist from Louisiana, and they brought three boys into the world. John attended college at night on the G.I. Bill and worked weekends in the bookkeeping department of a local retail store to make ends meet. He graduated from Strayer College with a Bachelors Degree in Business and Accounting in 1952. Armed with the degree, he applied and was accepted into new agents class and was appointed as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He spent two years in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office followed by three years in the Cincinnati, Ohio office. While in Cincinnati, his fourth and final child, a daughter, was born.

On July 7, 1964 he was transferred to the newly opened Jackson, Mississippi field office of the FBI to aid in the search for three missing civil rights workers outside of Philadelphia, Mississippi. He decided to remain in the Jackson office and was appointed to the position of Field Supervisor before retiring in 1977. In addition to the MIBURN (Mississippi Burning) case, he conducted numerous other investigations in civil rights violation matters as well as investigations relating to fraud against the U.S. Government, Federal Tort Claims Act matters, bank embezzlement, bank robbery and kidnap matters during his career. In his formal letter of retirement addressed to the Director of the FBI, he reflected on his career as follows: "I leave with a feeling of fierce pride in our accomplishments, particularly in Mississippi, where the FBI met a difficult challenge and performed magnificently in the field of human rights." He believed that civil rights and human rights were one in the same.

Following retirement from the FBI, he became a fixture at the Colonial Country Club where he played eighteen holes of golf every day, weather permitting. He was a member of the Mississippi Seniors, golf association and he never missed a home game of the Jackson Mets. However, the investigator in him would not rest so he obtained Special Investigator credentials and conducted background investigations for the Department of the Air Force and investigated employment discrimination claims for the Department of Agriculture in Mississippi and Louisiana during the 1980's and 90’s. In his final years, he passed his time by sitting in his back yard smoking his ever present cigar. In May of 2009, he moved to the Sienna Center at St. Catherine's Village in Madison, Mississippi.

He is survived by his wife Evelyn of Madison, Mississippi; brother Bob of Sebago, Maine; son Michael (Mimi) of Natchez, Mississippi; son John (Pam) of Lost Creek, West Virginia; son David (Laura) of Aberdeen, Mississippi; daughter Ann of Allen, Texas; granddaughter Joanna (Justin King) of Jackson, Mississippi, granddaughter Virginia of Baltimore, Maryland, grandson Jonathan of Lost Creek, West Virginia, granddaughter Jessica of Lost Creek, West Virginia, and grandson Jordan Garner of West Point, Mississippi.

The family wishes to thank Joe Webb, Chris Grillis and all the gang at the Lamar Restaurant for their friendship. Special thanks to the staff at Sienna Center/St. Catherine’s Village and the nurses at St. Dominic Hospital for their compassionate care which allowed John to live his final days in dignity and comfort.

Memorials may be made to the following: Catholic Charities, 200 N. Congress St., Ste. 100, Jackson, MS 39201 (601-355-8634), The Good Samaritan Center, 114 Millsaps Ave., Jackson, MS 39202 (601-355-6276), or Boy Scouts of America-Troop 30, 1242 Lynnwood Dr., Jackson, MS 39206 (601-366-2335).