John David Cothran

John David Cothran decided, Monday September 23rd, 2024, to go to his heavenly home after suffering more than a year from cancer. He and his wife, Anne Cothran, made Conyers, Georgia their home for 25 years.
John was born on July 14th, 1966, in Phoenix, Arizona to Linda Joyce Adams Welder and Jon Dennis Welder. Adopted in 1971, along with his brother, they became a part of the Cothran family. John added the 'h' in his name and his brother became a junior taking on their father's name Charles Austin Cothran.
He is preceded in death by his father 'Popi' Charles Austin Cothran, Sr., his grandparent's 'Daddy' Carl and Margret Dean Cothran, and Marvel and Donald Adams. He is survived by his mother Linn Cothran, wife Anne Mancini Cothran, daughter Gwendolyn Grace Cothran, son Shawn Gabriel Cothran, brother Charles Austin Cothran, Jr., who is the father of niece Charlei Marie Cothran mother of Cash Michael, Alize Marie, Persia Beau, and Austin Benclei, and niece Alabama Linn Cothran; his sister Carrie Doniel Grice married to Steve Grice and parents of nephew Kienan Zachary Shay Grice married to Lucy Turner, and niece Shelby Megan Grice married to Micah Paul Pickering parents of grandniece Eleana Jane Pickering.
He grew up moving to different air force bases and had an active childhood learning to fish, hunt, motorcross, swim, knit, run track, and farm at the Cothran family farm in Satsuma, Alabama. He attended Arizona State University for a year before joining the Army and serving for three years, three months, and nine days. After his honorable discharge, he attended the University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Math and Chemistry. He attended Mississippi Southern for polymer science graduate school for one year after which he accepted a position with Georgia-Pacific Chemicals (G-P) in the Research and Development lab in Crossett, Arkansas. He met his wife Anne through work associate Laura Bailey, and they married in 1998.
In 1999 they both transferred to the G-P research facility in Decatur, Georgia where Conyers, Georgia became their home.
John was a beloved husband, father, and a fierce friend. He was a stickler for grammar, loved to read, played video games both with friends and ran solo quests, played D&D with work friends in Crossett and in Georgia, enjoyed watching sci-fi/fantasy TV shows and romance movies. He loved tasty food, exclusively watching food shows while in the hospital. He served others by sharing his talents of statistics, math, scientific instruments, listening without judgement, obedience to laws especially those of the traffic variety, and exhibiting patience even in the delay of his cancer treatment. He tried to see the best in others and was always bringing his best self.
He will be dearly missed as he was loved by many and often took the time to help others regardless of his own work demands. Although John enjoyed flowers, he would prefer donations be made at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: www.stjude.org/donate.
Condolences may be submitted on-line at www.scotward.com. Scot Ward Funeral Services, 699 American Legion Road, Conyers, GA 30012, 770-483-7216.