John Olan Braswell Jr.

Funeral for John O. Braswell Jr., 81, of Decatur will be today, November 16, 2011, at 2 p.m. in the Stephenson Chapel at First Baptist Church in Decatur with Dr. Bill Hurt and the Reverend Roger Jenkins officiating and Roselawn Funeral Home directing. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. in the church chapel. Burial will be in Decatur City Cemetery.

Mr. Braswell, who died Saturday, November, 12, 2011, at Decatur General Hospital, was born June 14, 1930, in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, to the late John Olan Braswell and Ethel Lanier Braswell. He attended Decatur City Schools and became one of Shorty's Boys at Riverside High School. He attended Florence State University on a football scholarship and there he met Jean Ryan, who became his wife in 1952.

Mr. Braswell became a member of the U.S. Army attached to the Third Army Division stationed at Fort McPherson near Atlanta, Georgia. After his service, he returned to Alabama and pursued a degree from Samford School of Pharmacy in Birmingham. He maintained a lifelong relationship with Samford, serving on the Advisory Board of the Pharmacy School and as National President of the Pharmacy Alumni.

Mr. Braswell became associated with Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company in 1963. He worked for Lilly in various sales territories including Florence, Birmingham and Decatur. He retired in 1993. He was active in several sports and served on the board of the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame a number of years and in 2011, he was inducted into their Sports Hall of Fame.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Jean Ryan Braswell and three children, John O. Braswell III and Keith Ryan Braswell, both of Birmingham, and Karen Braswell (Keith Cole) of Winston Salem, N.C.; one sister, Shirley Coleman (A.J.) of Decatur; cousin who was like a sister, Martha Brown (Bud) of Decatur; one niece and nephew and one great-niece and three great-nephews.

Pallbearers will be Dr. Ron Workman, Dr. Bob Sittason, Bill McElroy, Dr. Walter Walker, Charles Jones, Barry Woods, Danny Hankins, Charles Riley, Dr. Cedric Bedingfield and Oscar Chunn.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Decatur or to the Ogle Scholarship Fund or Boys and Girls Club in c/o Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame.