John Castleberry

Lt. Col. John Brady Castleberry

1944-2020

John Brady Castleberry, age 76, passed away peacefully on October 13, 2020, after a 10-year battle with a rare autoimmune condition of the lungs.

John was born May 14, 1944, in Hattiesburg, MS, to Okel Brady and Mildred Campbell Castleberry. His family moved to Gulfport when John was four. John was a 1962 graduate of Gulfport High School, playing on GHS’s championship football team and was selected to play in the Mississippi All-Star Game. He attended Mississippi State University on a football scholarship. He earned his B.S. degree from MSU and his M.S. from William Carey College.

After college, John worked briefly in banking and insurance sales, and then coached football and taught at Gulfport East High School for a number of years. His final career was with the Mississippi Air National Guard from which he retired in 1998 as Director of Logistics at the Air National Guard Training Site in Gulfport.

John was a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Long Beach, where he served as club President, was a Paul Harris Fellow, and served a term as District Governor of Rotary District 6840. He served a term on the Long Beach School Board, including a year as President. He was a lifelong member of Gulfport First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), where he served in numerous positions and was an Elder Emeritus.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Okel and Mildred; his grandparents, sister-in-law, and niece.

He is survived by Mary Annette Oden Castleberry, his wife of almost 49 years; his sons, John Brady Castleberry, II of Las Vegas, NV; Patrick Oden Castleberry of Long Beach, MS; and Eric Mitchell Castleberry (Kellsi) of Metairie, LA; brother Okel Castleberry; nephew Clark Castleberry and family; brother-in-law Martin Mitchell Oden; two cousins; and grandpup, Archer.

There will be a public graveside service at Long Beach City Cemetery on Friday, October 16, 2020, at 11:00 A.M.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Gulfport First Christian Church (DOC), P. O. Box 1536, Gulfport, MS 39502; The Rotary Foundation (www.rotary.org) , or an organization of choice.

The RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, Long Beach, is serving the family and online condolences may be offered at www.riemannfamily.com