John Sizemore

John Barry Sizemore

1932-2012

Gulfport, MS

John Barry Sizemore was born September 27, 1932, in Ivydale, West Virginia, the oldest son of six children of a coal miner, George and his wife Glenna Smith.

He graduated valedictorian of his 1950 Clay, West Virginia High School class. He entered the U.S. Air Force at nineteen and was assigned to Walker AFB near Roswell, NM. As a young recruit, John was on the recovery team for the aircraft that flew through the mushroom cloud during atomic bomb testing. He was later assigned to Vandenberg AFB where he was involved in the deployment of the country's first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, the Atlas missile.

In his twenty years of service, he moved seventeen times, most notably, Suwon AB at the end of the Korean Conflict and Puerto Rico. John completed his Air Force career at Keesler AFB, 3380 Avionics Maintenance Squadron. South Central Bell employed John for ten years where he serviced Jackson County and then worked Civil Service at Keesler with the Communication Squadron. With four children, John married Roberta with her six children and settled in Gulfport. During their marriage of forty-four years, their family grew to seventeen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. John and Roberta spent their autumn years traveling the North American continent by motor home, amassing a lifetime of memories, stories, and friends.

John is survived by his wife Roberta Sizemore, brother Jim and sisters Ann Timmerman, Linda Becker, Judy Harris, and Doris Legg; his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, Terry Turner and her two daughters and three grandchildren, Sam and his two sons and two grandchildren, Rick and his five children and two grandchildren, and Joyce Kumar and her two sons. John will also be missed by his six stepchildren, Rick Hanson and his three children and three grandchildren, Dr. Randal Hanson, Jerry Hanson, Terry Hanson and his daughter and two grandchildren, David Hanson and his two stepsons, and Sharon Hanson.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 9, 2012, at RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 274 Beauvoir, Biloxi, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 10, 2012, in the funeral home chapel at 1:30 p.m.

Burial with full military honors provided by the U.S. Air Force will follow at Biloxi National Cemetery.

Tributes may be offered at www.riemannfamily.com.