John Attwell

John was born November 9, 1942, to Ronald and Edith Attwell. He is survived by his wife Mary, his son Gwilym (Colleen) of Kennett Square, PA, and daughter Gwenan Skoba (Mike) of O'Fallon, MO. His grandchildren, Brandon, Kylie, Lauren, and Hugh were his pride and joy.
John grew up in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England with his late sister Margaret (Peter Starr), and brother Peter (Tress). He graduated from the University of Exeter where he met his wife Mary before starting his graduate apprenticeship with Rolls Royce Aero Engine Division in Derby.
He moved with his family to Charleston, WV, in late 1978, when he joined Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics, then transferred to Parma, OH and later to Clarksville, TN. John enjoyed the travel required for his work which included multiple trips to France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain (not forgetting watching the running of the bulls), South Africa, Venezuela, and Brazil. During these trips, John took the opportunity to build an impressive collection of wine!
Upon retiring, John had time to plan and enjoy visits to many countries. He was interested in ancient history of countries like Iran, Sudan, and Ethiopia, animal life on safaris in several countries in Africa, and different cultures in the Far East. He was happy that the three week train journey on the Trans Siberian railway occurred just before Covid 19 and the troubles in Ukraine. Those long days and nights on that trip glued many happy friendships when rolling across the vast continent. The last trip was to Taiwan and South Korea where he even enjoyed the cuisine! No, he was not known for attempting new foods!
His home with the yard and the koi pond occupied much of his time, but the Clarksville YMCA also became an important part of his life. John joined the YMCA in 2007 for exercise, but he also enjoyed his post-workout conversations with his Y friends. Those friendships still form a truly valued community to the family.
A celebration of life will be on Saturday, March 22, at 11am at Neal Tarpley Parchman Funeral Home, Madison Street, followed by a reception at the YMCA, Hilldale Drive. Fly high, John. We shall raise a glass of wine to you. You were one of a kind and will be deeply missed.