John Edward Elish, Jr., age 84, passed away unexpectedly on January 1, 2026, at Piedmont Medical Center in Cartersville, Georgia. He was born on June 7, 1941, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to John Edward Elish, Sr. and Mary Wallo Elish, both of whom preceded him in death.
John pursued studies at Penn State University before relocating to Dallas, Texas for employment opportunities. He relocated to North Carolina in 1972 to begin a career in banking and mortgage services. From 1972 to 1982, he held various roles in financial institutions before joining American Security Insurance Group (now Assurant) in Atlanta as Vice President and Operations Manager of System One services. His leadership contributed to the development of a distributive processing system and he later joined the launch of the company's direct marketing subsidiary, Interfinancial Services Corp. In 1989, he transferred to Pittsburgh to support regional marketing efforts. Seeking a change of pace, John left the corporate world in 1990 to co-own a convenience store in Thomaston, Georgia.
In 1992, John married Vicki Dobbs, and together they purchased a poultry farm in Adairsville. Committed to their community, they assisted in the establishment of the Bartow Belles and Beaus Square Dance Club and served as Presidents of the Northwest Georgia Square Dance Federation from 1995 to 1996.
John continued working off the farm until his retirement in 2014, holding positions with Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance, Direct Insurance Agency, and Georgia Highlands College. He also served on the Board of Directors of Farm Bureau from 2007 to 2018.
A devout Christian, John was a member of Northpoint Church in Adairsville since 2005 and attended Crosspoint City Church in Cartersville from 2020 onward.
He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Vicki Dobbs Elish; his son, Brian Elish; daughter and son-in-law, Dana Elish Fowler (Rodney); grandchildren Jacob Elish, Mason Elish, Davis Fowler, Ryan Fowler, and Ava Fowler; along with extended family and friends. He will be remembered for his quick wit, his engaging sense of humor and the encouragement he gave to family and friends.
His remains were entrusted to Owen Funeral Home in Cartersville. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. Interment will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery, Cartersville, GA.
John pursued studies at Penn State University before relocating to Dallas, Texas for employment opportunities. He relocated to North Carolina in 1972 to begin a career in banking and mortgage services. From 1972 to 1982, he held various roles in financial institutions before joining American Security Insurance Group (now Assurant) in Atlanta as Vice President and Operations Manager of System One services. His leadership contributed to the development of a distributive processing system and he later joined the launch of the company's direct marketing subsidiary, Interfinancial Services Corp. In 1989, he transferred to Pittsburgh to support regional marketing efforts. Seeking a change of pace, John left the corporate world in 1990 to co-own a convenience store in Thomaston, Georgia.
In 1992, John married Vicki Dobbs, and together they purchased a poultry farm in Adairsville. Committed to their community, they assisted in the establishment of the Bartow Belles and Beaus Square Dance Club and served as Presidents of the Northwest Georgia Square Dance Federation from 1995 to 1996.
John continued working off the farm until his retirement in 2014, holding positions with Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance, Direct Insurance Agency, and Georgia Highlands College. He also served on the Board of Directors of Farm Bureau from 2007 to 2018.
A devout Christian, John was a member of Northpoint Church in Adairsville since 2005 and attended Crosspoint City Church in Cartersville from 2020 onward.
He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Vicki Dobbs Elish; his son, Brian Elish; daughter and son-in-law, Dana Elish Fowler (Rodney); grandchildren Jacob Elish, Mason Elish, Davis Fowler, Ryan Fowler, and Ava Fowler; along with extended family and friends. He will be remembered for his quick wit, his engaging sense of humor and the encouragement he gave to family and friends.
His remains were entrusted to Owen Funeral Home in Cartersville. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. Interment will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery, Cartersville, GA.
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