John Shepley Spivey

1960 - 2024

John Shepley Spivey

March 31, 1960 - April 13, 2024

Macon, Georgia - John Shepley Spivey, loving father, friend to many, chef, environmentalist and fisherman extraordinaire died at his home on Saturday, April 13, 2024. He was born in Macon on March 31, 1960 to Rosa Schofield Spivey and Oscar Smith Spivey, and is survived by his children John Shepley Spivey, Mary Buford Corbitt (Conner), Rosalee Lambert Spivey, and his beloved and devoted dog Annie. He is also survived by his former wife JoEllen Dail Spivey and his siblings Gena Spivey VanDerKloot (Bill), Oscar S. Spivey (Vicki), Rosa S. Spivey (John), and countless treasured friends and relatives.

John attended Stratford Academy and the University of Georgia where he received his BA and MBA degree with a concentration in finance. He was a member of the SAE fraternity through which he made many special friends and had countless adventures. After graduating, John began a long and fulfilling career in insurance and financial planning with Peachtree Planning.

Living his entire life in Macon and St. Simons Island, John loved nothing more than spending the day outdoors, particularly on the water - river, ocean, or lake - fishing, crabbing, hunting and exploring the marshes and forests. Like his mom and dad, John was passionate about growing things, marveling at the beauty of a sunrise, or lying in a field at night with his kids looking up at the stars. He loved taking his children out to muddy lake-banks and riverbeds hunting for overlooked treasures. On St. Simons Island, John identified a massive Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) that turned out to be the largest of this species in the United States. In acknowledgement of his discovery, he was presented with a Georgia National Champion Tree Certificate.

John's fishing skills as a young child were a family legend. He would spend all day fishing, once catching 100 fish in one day. As a father, there was nothing he loved better than piling his family in the car after work and driving to St. Simons for the weekend. "Spivey Time" became a widely-known euphemism for late-night suppers that never began until the sun was down, you were off the water, the fish were cleaned, the crabs boiled, and a round of cocktails completed. He was widely known for his extraordinary angling knowledge and skills. It was a special compliment if John shared the location of one of his famously productive fishing holes with you.

He was also involved with many civic activities, including serving as Chairman of the Children's Hospital Board, President of the founding Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House of Central GA, and was active in the Macon Civic Club. John was devoted to teaching others about nature and wildlife. He especially treasured the years he spent with Shep's Boy Scout troop which included a 10 day backpacking trip in the mountains of Philmont, New Mexico, a camping trip through the Okefenokee, and yearly trips to the coast. He was a long-time member of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) which seeks to conserve and protect the public trust fisheries of the U.S.

John was a lifetime member of Vineville Methodist Church. He loved sharing his faith and gathering with his Thursday Bible study group. The family is grateful to John's caregivers, especially Lena Billingslea, Shelia Pounds and Nadia Hodge, whose professionalism, patience, and skill were only exceeded by their loving care for John.

A celebration of John's life will be held at Vineville United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 18th at 2:00pm with visitation following. Dr. Marcus Tripp will officiate. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Children's Hospital of Central Georgia (navicenthealth.org), ALS United of Georgia (www.alsgeorgia.org), or the Coastal Conservation Association of Georgia (ccaga.org).

Visit www.snowsmacon.com to express tributes.

Snow's Memorial Chapel, Bass Road, has charge of arrangements.