John Groover

John Coleman Groover, 73, died July 13, 2025, at East Georgia Regional Medical Center after a long illness. He was a Statesboro native, a proud graduate of Statesboro High School, and a "Double Eagle" holding two degrees from Georgia Southern University.

John was a dedicated educator who spent 31 years employed at Ogeechee Technical College as an English Instructor and Academic Dean until his retirement in 2024. He received the Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction in 1999 naming him Instructor of the Year for the State of Georgia, and he was honored numerous times for his skill in teaching during his career. He served every president Ogeechee Tech had from its founding until his retirement.

Outside of education, he served Statesboro and the surrounding area through many varied endeavors. He created the first event that would eventually lead to what we now know as the Haunted Forest. He and his daughter founded Statesboro's first organization to aid K-12 LGBT students, a local chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in the 1990s. However, John was most proud of his work with the committee that founded the Averitt Center for the Arts and his co-founding of the STARs organization that brought a thriving community theater to Statesboro. He and his daughter even wrote Heartbreaks & Hallelujahs, an original jukebox musical for Averitt STARs that sold out every performance.

John was an ordained Baptist minister and a devoted member of Statesboro First United Methodist Church. His love of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, held him strong throughout his life.

He was preceded in death by his wife (Bonnie Cone Groover), his parents (Rev. Dr. Charles Gus Groover, Sr. & Ruby Strickland Groover), his brother (Charles Gus Groover, Jr.), his brother-in-law (Johnnie Covington), and his nephew (Jonathan Groover). He is survived by his loving daughter (Kiki Canon, née Laura Groover), his sister (Carolyn Groover Covington), and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), Statesboro Food Bank (https://statesborofoodbank.org), or any organization fighting for the rights of the LGBT community. The family also encourages all who are able to donate blood.

A memorial service will be held at the Trinity Episcopal Church on Sunday July 20, 2025 at 3:00 PM with Rev. Jimmy Cason, Rev. Mark Burgess, and Father Charles Todd officiating. Those wishing to personally express their condolences to the family may do so after the service.

A private interment will follow at 5:00 PM at Bulloch Memorial Gardens.

*[John Groover had impeccable grammar and wishes you to know that any errors found in his obituary are solely the fault of the family members who compiled it and remain due to his inability to proofread and edit beyond the grave.]