Dr. John Tillman Pyle

Dr. John T. Pyle, son of John and Inez Pyle, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 3, 1935. At the end of World War II, the family moved to Rome, Georgia, where John graduated from Rome High School in 1954.

The family returned to Atlanta in 1954, where John studied at Georgia Tech and Georgia State. He was an honor graduate of Georgia State, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1959. He served as a laboratory assistant at Georgia State and was awarded a scholarship to attend graduate school.

In 1959, he began his advanced studies at the University of Georgia, receiving two graduate fellowships. He was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

In 1964, he began his teaching career at Mars Hill College in North Carolina. In 1969, he joined the faculty at Columbus College, which was transitioning into a senior institution. He retired from Columbus State University in 1997 and continued teaching for ten more years at Beacon University.

Dr. Pyle enjoyed traveling with his wife to historical sites, flying adventures with his son, studying foreign languages and spent two consecutive summers studying in France. In his recent years he found a new way to travel by enjoying travel videos on YouTube. He loved his grandkids and their dog, Georgia, and looked forward to each and every visit with them.

He was a member of Saint Mark Church in Columbus, Georgia.

Dr. Pyle is survived by his wife, Wilene W. Pyle; his son, John David Pyle; and two granddaughters, Julie Anne Pyle and Sallye Jane Pyle.

A visitation for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the St. Elmo Room at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 4071 Macon Rd. Columbus, GA 31907.