John Patten Guerry
Well-known civic leader and retired businessman John Patten Guerry died Tuesday at 98.
Mr. Guerry was described as "a stalwart in the community as he sought to help those around him. He had a deep and abiding love for Chattanooga and served on and led many boards and organizations, including Rotary, the United Way, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, Memorial Hospital, the Chattanooga Community Foundation, the University of Chattanooga Foundation and the YMCA, among many others."
Mr. Guerry was born in Chattanooga, attended Baylor School and Sewanee Military Academy where he graduated in 1943 and soon after answered the call to serve in World War II. He was an Army rifle platoon leader, suffering wounds during fighting in Germany in 1944. Though wounded, he continued to lead his troops in operations clearing buildings that resulted in the capture of 27 German soldiers. For his heroism he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor along with a Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, and the ETO Ribbon with one battle star.
After the war he attended the University of the South at Sewanee, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, president of the student body, and was a standout on the football and tennis teams.
After working at Baylor as a teacher and at the American National Bank, he was recalled to the Army to serve in the Korean War as a first lieutenant in a tank company. After the war, he returned to the American National Bank and received his Juris Doctorate from McKenzie Law School before joining the family’s medicine company (later Chattem and Sanofi). In 1977 he left to become the chief executive officer of First Federal Savings and Loan until he retired in 1987.
He had a life-long passion for tennis, playing and winning many tournaments and is a member of the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame, Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame and the University of the South Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to tennis, he loved spending time with his grandchildren and taking yearly trips to the beach with his immediate and extended family.
He was described as a man of great faith and a long-time member of the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on Lookout Mountain and a member of the Waters Sunday School class at the First Baptist Church in the Golden Gateway.
Mr. Guerry was preceded in death by his parents Alexander and Charlotte Patten Guerry. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carolyn, his two sons (Pat and Bill), two daughters-in-law (Tracy and Tucker), four grandchildren (Charlotte, John, Virginia and Ann Wright), and many nephews, nieces, and cousins.
The family will receive friends at the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on Lookout Mountain on Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 noon with the funeral service to follow. There will be a private family burial.
Visit www.heritagebattlefield.com to share condolences with the family.
Arrangements are by the Heritage Funeral Home, 3239 Battlefield Parkway, Fort Oglethorpe.