Dr. John Jay Read

1954 - 2021

Dr. John Jay Read

December 1, 1954 – October 26, 2021

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle Dr. John Jay Read, 66, died October 26, 2021 at his home in Starkville, Mississippi. A native of Elko, Nevada, he was born December 1, 1954 to Dr. Jake and Peggy Read.

After graduating from Elko High School, John Jay attended Oregon State University where he earned his BS degree. In 1983 he completed his Master's degree at UNR and in1989 her earned his Ph.D. in Agronomy from Oklahoma State. John married his wife Lisa in 1987 while in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

John Jay worked for the USDA for 31 years. From 1989 to 1991 he worked in Logan, Utah doing forage and range research on water use efficiency and forage production. From 1991 to 1995 John worked at the Crops Research Lab in Ft. Collins, Colorado. His research was on C02 enrichment and temperature stress in native range grasses. From 1995 to 1997 Dr. Read did post-doctoral work in Canberra for the Australian National University; his research there was on water use efficiency and drought tolerance impacting wheat and cotton. From 1999 until his death, John worked in the Crop Science Research lab at Mississippi State doing research on reducing the potential of nutrient and bacterial pollution of land, water and air from animal waste in the South.

Before his untimely death, the USDA elected Dr. Read as the 2021 Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) for his outstanding contributions to agronomy through education, national and international service and research. This is the highest recognition by the American Society of Agronomy.

John spent years involved in the Boy Scouts with his son, Tim and was an enthusiastic supporter of veterans, specifically Wounded Warriors, attending many service activities and ceremonies.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Jake and Peggy and by two brothers, Derek David and Bruce Hankerson. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, children: Charlotte Hughes (Jonathan of Plano, TX), USMC Corporal Tim Read (Anh of Wesley Chapel, FL), Colleen Warren (TJ of West Point, MS), daughter, Leandra Moschetti of Wells, NV, grandchildren, Juliane Hughes, Aria Mitchell, John Mitchell, James Mitchell, brother, Peter Read (Wendy) of Lafayette, CA, sisters, Madelyn (Phil Brittenham) of Sparks, NV and Margaret Read of Sacramento, CA and a number of adoring nieces and nephews.

John's memorial will be held at the Boy Scout Camp in Starkville on December 4, 2021.

Condolences can be left at www.welchfuneralhomes.com