John William Colvin, Sr.

Visitation will be held from 5:00pm until 7:00pm, Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Funeral services will follow at 7:00pm in the funeral home chapel. Graveside services are 10:00am, Thursday, July 27, 2023, at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Newton.

He was born March 17, 1933, in West Helena, Arkansas, a son of the late Truman Dart Colvin and Anna Chloe Ross Colvin.

Mr. Colvin became an avid baseball fan at a young age, playing in the pastures of Arkansas with area kids, including the famous late country singer Conway Twitty (known then as Harold Jenkins). He was a huge Mississippi Braves fan, following the team since their inception in 2005, and he rarely missed a home game.

He was a proud U.S. Marine and a Korean War veteran, dropping out of high school at the age of 17 to voluntarily enlist. After returning home, he earned his GED and enrolled at Arkansas A&M (known currently as the University of Arkansas at Monticello) where he earned his degree in Forestry. He was employed by the Mississippi Forestry Commission for 37 years, where he was the Information and Education Officer for the majority of his career until his retirement in 1998. In 1987, he brought an environmental education program known as Project Learning Tree to the state of Mississippi, and he was the first recipient of the Gold Star Award, a prestigious award given by International PLT to the outstanding PLT coordinator in the world. He also earned the Meritorious Service to Forestry Award given out by the Mississippi Forestry Association.

After his oldest daughter, Ann Marie, was diagnosed with Autism in the late 1960's, he became an advocate for autistic children and their parents, founding the Mississippi chapter of the National Society for Autistic Children (currently known as the Autism Society of America).

He was an active member of First Freewill Baptist Church in Pearl where he loved his church family and time spent with them. Mr. Colvin's favorite hobby, besides watching the Braves play baseball, was woodworking. After retirement, he spent many hours in his backyard shop, doing numerous projects for family and friends.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his brother, Robert Colvin, and sisters, Kate McLain, Peg Kurtzborn, and Patty Shores.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 62 years, Linda Baker Colvin; son, Bill Colvin, Jr.; daughters, Jennifer Colvin, and Ann Marie Colvin; and sisters, Nancy Herman, and Anna Marie Bell.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials to First Freewill Baptist Church of Pearl, the Marine Corps League, or the Autism Society of Mississippi.