John C. McBride
Decatur
Funeral for John C. McBride, 72, of Decatur will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Ridout''s Brown-Service Funeral Home with the Rev. Dallas Culver and Sherriff Mike Blakeley officiating. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery with Ridout''s Brown-Service directing. Visitation will be today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. John C. McBride, who died Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, was born Feb. 17, 1937, in Lawrence County to Charles and Sallie Jones McBride. At a very young age, John began working at Brown Service Funeral Home washing hearses and cars. He eventually became manager of Guntharp Brown Service Funeral Home. He was very active in the Decatur Jaycees and was elected to and served in every office and served on every board of the Jaycees. In 1964, he was voted one of four Outstanding Young Men in Alabama by the state organization. John was elected and served as Morgan County coroner from 1967 to 1971. He was elected and served as sheriff of Morgan County from 1971 to 1975. In 2002, Governor Don Siegelman appointed John to serve the remainder of Sheriff Steve Crabbe''s term after his death. During the late ''70s and ''80s, he bought an airplane and extradited prisoners for 37 sheriffs from the state of Alabama, which let him travel extensively across the United States. Since 1975, he and his wife have owned and operated McBride''s Florist. John served as president of the Alabama Teleflora Association and president of Alabama State Florist''s Association. The society of American Florists honored him by inducting him into the American Institute of Floral Designers. John served on the board of the American Red Cross, the Morgan County Emergency Management board, and the Decatur/Athens Airport Authority Board (as co-chairman). He was also an active member of the Masonic Lodge and Shriners. Survivors include his wife, Louann Jennings McBride; daughters, Shelia Knop and husband Jimmie, Lisa Anderson and Amy Shelton and husband Roger; a son, John McBride II, and wife Connie; step-sons Allan Kent and wife Karen and Michael Kent; 13 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.