John Anthony Mesa Sr

John A. Mesa, Sr., 83 of Douglasville, Georgia passed away on December 25, 2021. He was born June 23, 1938, in Quitman, Georgia, the son of the late Mario John Mesa Sr. and Adela Mesa (Llanos) and was the 7th of 9 children. John graduated from Boone High School in Orlando, Florida and shortly after joined the Navy at the age of 19. He served on the USS Essex CVA-9 in the gunnery division and was honorably discharged at the end of his enlistment.

He attended the College of Orlando pursuing a degree in Business Administration/ pre-Pharmacy while working as a pharmacy technician at Orange Memorial Hospital. There he met Carmen Abbott and they married in April 1960. Their first child, John Anthony was born in 1961 and daughter Terri Lynn born in 1965.

In the early 90s, John was single, and his children were married. He was still in the pharmaceutical sales business where he met a sweet, registered nurse named JoLynn Flowers who caught his eye. A romance soon blossomed, and he and JoLynn became inseparable. They had a beautiful Christmas wedding on December 28, 1991, welcoming her two sons Anthony and Kenneth to the family. They spent the next thirty years together enjoying their combined families and were members of Zion Hill Baptist Church in Buford Ga.

John’s professional life was in pharmaceutical sales where he enjoyed a long and successful career in multiple locations throughout Florida and Georgia. Settling down in Douglasville, GA John’s home soon became the place where his children and the neighborhood kids hung out to swim, “camp” in the backyard, play baseball and skateboard. He was the coolest Dad, very loud, charming, and hilarious! Everyone loved him. Family life also included traveling and RV’ing across the United States and summer trips to Maine for family reunions.

John was a great athlete and coach. He played on a men’s travel softball team, the Douglasville Sharks for many years. When not on the pitching mound he played flag football and basketball. He also loved watching the Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs.

He enjoyed deer hunting and camping with family and friends every season and an annual deep sea fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico. His grandchildren adored him and called him Papa John. He was always doing crazy outrageous things to make them laugh like the straws in the nose bit at Hudson’s BBQ that backfired!

After retiring from the pharmaceutical industry, John worked at a propane gas company and his silly comedic personality had him dressing up as a clown for company events and his grandchildren’s birthdays. His last and favorite part time job was with Abercrombie Transmission where his coworkers were like family. He would help with outside sales, wholesale accounts, answer the phones, work the front desk and pick up parts. John was happy to help anyway he could. He loved them so much that they were a big part of his 80th birthday celebration at his favorite local restaurant, Hudson’s BBQ. This milestone event was his most talked about and anticipated birthday celebration. He felt truly blessed and loved.

He was preceded in death by brothers, Mario, Albert and Paul; and sisters, Nora and Anita.

Surviving family includes his loving wife of 30 years Jolynn Owenby Flowers Mesa; son, John Mesa, Jr (Susan); daughter; Terri Teal (Brad); stepsons, Anthony Flowers (Susan) and Kenneth Flowers (Michelle); grandchildren; Conor Teal, Christopher Teal, Kristen Flowers, Andrew Flowers, Wesley Flowers, Will Flowers; sisters, Geri Zwiefel and Sandra (David) Mitchell; brother, Ralph (Martha) Mesa; as well as numerous nieces and nephews who he loved dearly.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday, December 30, 2021 from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM. The funeral service will follow at 11:00 AM in the Rosehaven Chapel with Reverend Danny West officiating. The inurnment will follow at 1:00 PM in Georgia Memorial Gardens, 2000 Cobb Parkway SE, Marietta, Georgia.

Masks are required.

For those unable to attend, the services will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/RosehavenMemorial

In remembrance of John Mesa’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.whitleygarner.com for the Mesa family.

Services have been entrusted to the care of Whitley-Garner at Rosehaven Funeral Home, 8640 Rose Avenue, Douglasville, Georgia 30134