Jesse Martin McElyea, aged 88, passed away on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. He was born March 25, 1931, Madison County, Alabama, the son of the late Milton McElyea and Sudie Howard McElyea. He graduated from Hazel Green High School and came to Rome to attend Berry College in 1950. While at Berry, he met Barbara Camp, and they married in Barnwell Chapel on the Berry campus on October 8, 1955.
After graduating from Berry in 1954, he taught high school English at Johnson and Model High Schools for 33 years. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Rome. In addition to his wife, Martin is survived by his children and grandchildren: Ellen McElyea and her husband, Bobby Dyer; Tracy Doss and her husband, Jamie Doss; son David Martin McElyea; grandchildren William Dyer and his wife Catherine, Abby Doss, Wright Dyer, Georgia Doss, and Natalie Doss. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Berry College or First Baptist Church of Rome. The funeral service will take place on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Rome.