John A. McClelland

John A McClelland, age 87, passed from this life on March 13, 2025.

A native of Ballinger, he was born February 28, 1938. After graduating from Ballinger in 1956, he attended Tarleton for two years before enlisting in the Air Force. After a tour as a linguist at Osan, Korea, he returned to Randolph AFB at San Antonio where he was assigned to a new developing career field, computer programming. After discharge, he returned to college, graduating from Texas Tech in 1964 with a B.S. in Range Management. During the summers in college, he was a Student Trainee with the USDA/Soil Conservation Service, working at Robert Lee, Colorado City, and Menard. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Coleman to complete his formal training. During that summer, a chance meeting introduced him to Sandra Fowler of Rockwood, a recent Abilene Christian graduate. Sandra was headed for her first school teaching job at Austin. John's next job was to be in Marfa, so he elected to make a career course correction, and found a computer related job with the Air Force at Randolph.

John and Sandra were married at the Shields Church of Christ June 19, 1965, and the reception was held in the Shields schoolhouse where Sandra had attended first grade. After a trip to beautiful Colorado, they settled in San Antonio, where they remained until his passing. John was a long-time member of MacArthur Park Church of Christ, starting with his arrival from overseas in 1961.He served several years as the deacon in charge of maintenance for five church buses before health issues intervened. He retired from a middle management position at Air Force Recruiting Service in 1991. Having started life on the farm, he became an avid gardener and also a woodworker. He also became a serious amateur genealogist and gathered a very extensive collection of information on the various branches of his family.

John was predeceased by a son, James Michael, his parents, Artie and Margaret McClelland of Ballinger, three brothers, and two sisters.

He is survived by Sandra, his wife of 59 years, a daughter, Susan May (Jim) of Newnan, Georgia, one grandson, three granddaughters, two great grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 22, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Stevens Funeral Home, 400 W. Pecan, Coleman, with a service in the chapel at 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow in the Coleman Cemetery.

Please leave kind thoughts and condolences for the family at www.stevensfuneralhome.com. Stevens Funeral Home is honored to serve the McClelland family.