John Barton Childers

CHILDERS

JOHN BARTON CHILDERS 1941 ~ 2023

With profound sadness, the family of John Barton Childers announces his passing on July 8, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Florida, from complications of Parkinson's disease. He was 81. His final days were spent in quiet celebration of close family, longtime friends, and the major league standings of the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles.



Cherished husband, father, stepfather, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, and colleague, John had a sharp intellect, lively wit, and outsized common sense. He was a decent, hardworking and loyal man of utmost integrity. John's professional commitments to public service and higher education are key parts of his legacy.



John is survived by his wife of 47 years, Kay Hocker Childers, daughter Margaret Jarrell (Travis), stepson Christopher Boffey (Laura Kennedy), sister Margaret Shearer, niece Maya Davis, and his beloved granddaughters, Fia Boffey, Amelie Boffey, and Lila Rose Jarrell. He maintained a close, lifelong connection to his extended family in Madison, Indiana, with whom he spent summers in his youth and Thanksgivings over several decades of adulthood. He also leaves behind many treasured friends and former colleagues who benefited from his leadership and mentoring.



John was raised in Albany, New York, the son of James Wesley and Margaret Alcorn Childers, both educators who inspired his interest in education. He was a graduate of The Albany Academy, DePauw University, and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. John also studied for a year in Bologna, which sparked his enduring love of all things Italian.



In the mid-1960's, John embarked on a distinguished career in the U.S. Congress, lasting more than two decades. There, he held positions of increasing responsibility, beginning with Rep. Tom Curtis (R-MO), Senator Charles H. Percy (R-IL), and the committee then known as the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. He ended his tenure on Capitol Hill as Staff Director of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration under the chairmanship of Senator Charles "Mac" Mathias (R-MD).



In 1989, John was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush. Thereafter, John began a second career as an advocate in the field of higher education, which included senior positions at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the College Board. John retired at age 72 as President of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.



In retirement, John and Kay spent many enjoyable years on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and in St. Pete Beach, Florida. John expressed a continuing interest in public service at the local level, becoming a committed volunteer in every community in which he resided, including service for the Duck (NC) Fire Department, the St. Petersburg Civilian Police Review Committee, the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, and the Resident Council of Westminster Palms in St. Petersburg. He was the proud holder of well-worn library cards wherever he lived.



At John's request, no funeral services were held. The family particularly wants to thank the staff at St. Anthony's Hospital, Westminster Home Health, and Suncoast Hospice, for their outstanding and comforting care of John at the end of his journey.



Those inclined to make a charitable contribution in John's memory may do so at the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), the Parkinson's Foundation, or to an organization of your choice. Otherwise, please raise a glass of craft beer or attend a baseball game: two of John's passions that were part of his life well-lived.