John Addison Childress Jr.

June 9, 1944 - February 12, 2026

Obituary

John Addison Childress, Jr., was born on June 9, 1944 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and went home to be with the Lord on February 12, 2026, in Inglewood, California. He was 81.

Born to Dorothy Childress (née LaForce) and John Addison Childress, Sr., John was the first born child of a well-known and deeply respected member of the Eastwick community. His father, the first Black pharmacist in the region, owned the local drugstore. Growing up, John worked in the family business as a maintenance worker, inventory clerk, and even a soda jerk. It was there that from an early age, he learned the value of hard work, responsibility, and service.

Later, his sister, Judy, was born and the family moved to Mt. Airy, a suburb of Philadelphia, where John continued his education and graduated from Germantown High School in 1962. It was there that he fell in love with music, performing in solos, small groups, and choirs. He quickly became known for his clear, resonant bass voice, a talent that would follow him throughout his life.

After spending two years at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, the nation’s first HBCU, he began working with young people who needed him most, serving four years in a juvenile detention center guiding grade school and junior high aged youth.

A true patriot, John served his country honorably for over 40 years. He enlisted in the United States Air Force at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey in 1969. After four years of active duty, he continued his commitment through service in both the Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard. He retired honorably in 2004 with the rank of E-7. In 1978, as John transitioned from active military service, he moved into civil service as a civilian. Starting at the Defense Logistics Agency and working with the Navy, Air Force, and NASA, John settled into a long career at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (then called Dryden Flight Research Center) at Edwards Air Force Base in California. It was during this time that he completed his undergraduate degree, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from the University of Phoenix in 1994. He retired from federal service in 2011.

One evening in Pennsylvania, he met Zelda Gordon of Georgetown, Guyana, and in 1978, they were married in an intimate ceremony. In 1981, soon after they welcomed their first daughter, Jennifer Lynn, the couple moved to Oahu, Hawaii, where John served his country and his family continued to grow. There, his faith continued to grow as the family became members of Germantown Christian Assembly. After moving back to the mainland in 1984, the family settled in Southern California where their second daughter, Jessica Allison, was born in 1986. His daughters were the pride and joy of his life.

The family settled in the Antelope Valley as John settled into his career at NASA. In 1988, the family joined Lancaster Baptist Church, then a small faith community with fewer than 50 members. John, Zelda, and the children were members there for many years, with Jennifer and Jessica both graduating from Lancaster Baptist School before going on to earn Bachelors degrees from Pepperdine University. John’s life was deeply shaped by his Christian faith, and he dedicated himself to service within his church and community.

He served the Lord, using his beautiful voice to sing in the choir, special music groups, and solos in church; taught Sunday school to third- and fourth-grade boys; and raised and donated tens of thousands of dollars to God’s work over many years. “Brother John,” as he was always called, was a fixture Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, Wednesday evenings, “soul-winning,” and wherever else he was needed.

In the late aughts, John met Phyllis Wallace, and the two began a deep and meaningful relationship that would continue until his death. For nearly 20 years, John was welcomed as a part of the family, celebrating the important moments of life together.

At 70, John fulfilled a lifelong dream of joining the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. In 2014, he became a member of the Sigma Iota Iota Chapter. As a Que, John continued to support and uplift young people, especially young African American men, through programs like the Youth Leadership Conference. He was so proud to be a Que and found friendship, brotherhood and community with his brothers.

We will gather to celebrate John’s life on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 11 o’clock in the morning at Joshua Memorial Park, in Lancaster, CA.

John was preceded in death by his parents, John and Dorothy Childress. He is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Childress and Jessica Childress of Los Angeles; his sister, Judy Delamaide of Philadelphia; his long time partner Phyllis Wallace of Inglewood; and former wife and mother of his children, Zelda Childress of the Antelope Valley. He was a proud and delighted grandfather of one grandson, Rafael John-Antonio, who looks just like him.

John Addison Childress, Jr. will be remembered for his faith, infectious laugh, beautiful singing voice, and his love for his friends and family.