John Thomas Mctier

John Thomas McTier of Valdosta passed away on September 8th at Langdale Hospice House. He was 87. Born in Shellman, Georgia in 1933, his parents were Rev. and Mrs. Roy (Julia Harvey) McTier. Rev. McTier was a revered Methodist minister, and John considered his mother to be a saint. “Rev. Roy” lived to be more than 100 years old. As was the case in those days, Methodist ministers were expected to move to another pastorate every four years. The family next moved to Columbus in 1937 where John attended Wynnton Elementary School. They next moved to Waynesboro where they lived for four years which John enjoyed immensely. In 1946, the family moved to Moultrie where John attended Moultrie High School from which he graduated in 1950.
John enrolled in Emory Junior College in Valdosta the following fall. His spending money came primarily from driving used cars from Valdosta to Tampa every Friday afternoon for ten dollars after which he and his buddies would hitch-hike back to Valdosta, sometimes not arriving home until Saturday afternoon. John entered Emory University in Atlanta in 1952, received his BA degree in 1954, and his Juris Doctor degree in 1957. During his time at Emory, John was a member of the Emory Glee Club which allowed him the opportunity to travel the world. In 1953, the Glee Club toured Europe for 14 weeks, one of his favorite experiences. He was also a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity. John passed the Georgia bar exam after two years in law school and then took a position as Director of Safety and Security at Emory. John completed his last year of law school by attending night classes which were available at the time.
In 1958, John accepted a position as an associate at the firm of Nall, Miller in Atlanta where he handled civil litigation defense. In 1961, John returned to Emory as Assistant Business Manager. Within a few months of accepting the position John, then 27, was promoted to Business Manager of Emory where he served in that capacity for five years.

In 1966, John was approached about the possibility of returning to Valdosta and to private law practice. He accepted and moved his young family back to Valdosta where he joined the firm of Tillman, Brice, McTier and Coleman (now known as Coleman Talley). He remained with the firm for over 30 years. During most of those years he was managing partner of the firm. John tried many cases in Valdosta and around South Georgia. He also had the opportunity to try cases in California, New York, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. Over the years, John’s practice evolved to being corporate council for such local companies as SAFT America, Griffin Corporation, and several others. In 1996, representatives of Griffin Corporation, a company experiencing rapid growth and expansion at the time, approached John about the possibility of him coming over to become their full time, in-house council. Over the next few years John oversaw all of Griffin’s legal affairs, including a major task, executing the sale of Griffin Corporation to E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company. John remained with DuPont for about a year before officially announcing his retirement in 2016. Though he claimed he was officially retired, he continued to handle various legal matters for former clients because John would often say that “there are some out there who just won’t let me retire.”
In 1981, John was asked by then Governor George Busbee to serve on the Jekyll Island Authority. He accepted and served on the Authority for 14 years, the last five years as Chairman. Under his leadership, the Authority began the journey of restoring the then abandoned Jekyll Island Club Hotel into the wonderful property it remains today. Before declining health, one of John’s greatest pleasures was hosting an annual golf event on Jekyll Island for his closest friends that was named the “Chairman’s Invitational.” He hosted the event for 30 years with every one of them memorable.
John McTier loved Valdosta, his “hometown.” While he served in many different positions on local boards and associations, two of John’s proudest accomplishments were related to the formation and launch of the Valdosta YMCA, and the establishment of Valwood School. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce, he formed a committee to consider the possibility of starting a YMCA in Valdosta. The committee immediately agreed that the idea was worth pursuing. After many months of fundraising, planning, and hard work, the YMCA finally opened in the old Valdosta National Guard facility with John serving as the YMCA’s first board chairman. John was also instrumental in securing the property where the “Y” is currently located today on Gornto Road. In 1968, John assisted his law partner, Henry Brice, in the founding of Valwood School. While Valwood was Mr. Brice’s vision, many Valdosta residents pitched in to form the school and support it for years to come. One of John’s significant contributions to the effort was putting together the legal agreements associated with the original school campus, the former Central Elementary School Building on Central Avenue. Among other civic contributions John made to the city of Valdosta was serving as Chairman of the Library Board, serving as a member of the VSU Foundation, serving as attorney for the Industrial Authority, and other positions. Perhaps most important to John was his association with and fondness for his church family at First United Methodist Church of Valdosta. Through the years John served as Chairman of the Administrative and Finance Committees, was a member of the choir, and was one of the teachers in his beloved Becky Anthony Sunday School class.
John is survived by his wife of 60 years, Virginia (Ginna) Parramore McTier, his brother, Charles (Pete) McTier (Marcy) of Atlanta, GA, sister in law Alice McTier of Opelika, AL, three sons, John Thomas (Tom) McTier, Jr. (Kellie), James Franklin (Frank) McTier (Betsy), and Robert Carlton McTier, six grandchildren, Sarah Jackson (Jeff) of Birmingham, AL, Thomas McTier, III, Benjamin McTier, Lauren McTier, Carlton McTier, and Ginger McTier, and numerous nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his brother, Roy McTier, Jr., and his sister, Carolyn Duggan. He was also preceded in death by his nephew, Roy McTier, III. Also mourning John’s passing are his two beloved English Setters, Lily and Rock.
A visitation will be held on Sunday, September 12, 2021, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Valdosta. A memorial service will follow at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1306, Valdosta, GA, 31603, Langdale Hospice House, 2263 Pineview Drive, Valdosta, GA 31602, or Hospice of South Georgia, 2263 Pineview Drive, Valdosta, GA, 31602. Condolences to the family may be conveyed online at www.mclanecares.com Carson McLane Funeral Home