John Michael Percifield Sr.

John Michael Percifield, Sr. was a fifth generation resident of Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas, and a descendant of the McLeroy, Harris, Clayton, and Senter pioneer families. His father, Otis Percifield, came to Alvarado in 1930 to work at the Oakes Insurance Agency, and met his mother Doris McLeroy at a Sunday school gathering at the First Methodist Church. They were wed in June of 1932 and had their first child, Sue, in 1938. John was born on May 23, 1941 in Fort Worth, Texas at Harris Hospital.

John attended Alvarado Public Schools from the first grade through the twelfth grade, graduating in 1959. He attended Texas A&M University as a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band Class of 1963, and graduated in 1964.

After graduation, John moved back to Alvarado and married Mary Schwartz on August 15, 1964. While many of his Alvarado friends moved away to the big city, John decided to stay in Alvarado and raise his family, even joining the Alvarado Jaycees shortly after their wedding. He and Mary raised two sons, Michael and Paul, who still reside in Alvarado to this day.

In 1966, John became the youngest member to ever be elected on the Alvarado ISD School Board at age 25. He taught at Cleburne High School for 10 years from 1964 to 1974, and served on the Alvarado School Board during this time, 1966 to 1974, and again from 1982 to 1985. He became the Assistant Superintendent of the Alvarado Public School System from 1974 to 1979, when he then resigned to begin working at Bell Helicopter for the next five years. He later returned to the Alvarado Public School System as the Business Manager from 1985 to 1992. He then returned to the class room at Alvarado High School until his retirement in 1997.

John served on the Johnson County MHMR board from 1991 to 1997, and was board chairman from 1992 to 1994. He was president of the Bethany Water Supply Corporation from 2000 to 2003. He was president of the Johnson County Antique Tractor Club from 2007 to 2010, and a member for many years, winning numerous awards for the restoration of multiple antique tractors in his collection. He began serving on the Alvarado Economic Board in 2001, and became president of the Alvarado 4-B Committee until he retired from that position in 2022. He was a member and Chairman of the Johnson County Historical Commission from 2000 to 2021. As the leader of that commission, he was instrumental in the installation of many of the historical markers in Alvarado and throughout Johnson County.

John has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Alvarado Glenwood Cemetery Association for over 40 years, and has served as president of the association since 2000, and was responsible for the creation of the Veterans Memorial at the cemetery.

John was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church, serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for over 40 years. He was responsible for the restoration of the historic 1886 sanctuary exterior in 1995, and the interior renovation in 2007. He was the liaison with the Boy Scouts of America and the Alvarado FUMC for over 50 years.

John was a leading contributor in the restoration of the Park Hardware Wagon Barn, and has provided a significant number of large items, on loan, to the Alvarado Heritage Museum. He restored Alvarado’s original 1942 Ford fire truck, which is used annually in parades and is on display in the museum, as a reminder of Alvarado’s long standing fire service history.

John has been a longtime member and supporter of the Texas A&M Association of Former Students, the Texas Aggie Band Association, the Johnson County A&M Club, as well as Terry’s Texas Rangers, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1937.

John received the award for â€sAlvaradoan of the Yearâ€t in 2013 by the Alvarado Chamber of Commerce, and the â€sCitizen of the Year Awardâ€t in 2023 by the City of Alvarado.

But most of all, John was a friend, a mentor, a loving and devoted husband, father, and granddad, a man of sterling character, a great storyteller, witty with a unique sense of humor, and an overall exceptionally good man. He was a true pillar of not only the Alvarado community, but also that of Johnson County.

John passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on August 23, 2025, due to complications after suffering a stroke at Harris Hospital at the age of 84. He was preceded in death by his parents, Otis and Doris Percifield, and his sister, Sue Percifield Ball. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary Percifield, son Michael Percifield and wife Teresa, son Paul Percifield, Sr. and wife Jennifer, 6 grandchildren; Seth Rosser and wife Brittney, Emilie Campbell and husband Clayton, Paul Percifield, Jr. and wife Lodie, Camden Percifield, Everett Percifield, Chloe Percifield, 3 great grandchildren; Riley Rosser, Grayson Rosser, Brooks Campbell, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.