Published: October 03, 2008 04:43 pm         

Dr. John M. Alford Jr.

Dr. John Marvin Alford Jr., 87, died Oct. 2, 2008 at the Mississippi State Veterans Home in Kosciusko after an extended illness.

He was born July 1, 1921 in Drewry, Ala., son of the late John Marvin Alford Sr. and Josie Lauritzen Alford. He graduated from LSU School of Medicine.

Dr. Alford was a U.S. Navy veteran where he served as a surgeon. Upon discharge he operated an active general medical practice in Greenwood for nearly 50 years. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi State Medical Association from 1967-70 after serving on a variety of other committees within the association, including the Commission on Medicine and Religion.

Upon retirement Dr. Alford maintained a keen interest in psychology and was a scholar of Carl Jung. His hobbies included writing, bailing hay, cattle farming, and sailing in the Gulf Coast waters where he lived many years after retirement. In 1961 he launched his own handcrafted 32 foot sailboat off the banks of the Yazoo River in Greenwood. He and his family navigated it down the Mississippi River where it was moored at the Ocean Springs harbor for many years. During his years living on the Gulf Cost he volunteered his services with the Home of Grace facility for drug and alcohol abuse for men, in Van Cleave, Ms. Upon moving to Tupelo he became a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.

Services will be held Sunday, Oct. 5, at the Tupelo Chapel of Holland-Harris Funeral Directors with Rev. Raymond Rooney officiating. Burial will follow in Lindsey Cemetery in Tishomingo County.

Services include his wife of 26 years, Wentris Oswalt Alford; three sons, Dr. John M. Alford III (Angie) of Dubling, Ga., Dr. Peter Alford (Tracy) of Huntersville, N.C., Dr. Tim Alford (Mary) of Kosciusko; daughter, Helen Alford Redding (Robert) of Jackson, Tn.; two step children, Pamela Loveless Rose (Phil) of Memphis, Alan Loveless (Kelly) of Madison; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; the mother of his children, Virginia Alford;’ brother, Lauritzen Alford; sister, Beryl Longman.

Visitation will be 12-2 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers the family asks donations be made to the Alzheimers Association, 1900 Dunbarton Drive, Suite 1, Jackson, Ms. 39216 or The American Heart Association, P.O. Box 16808, Jackson, Ms. 39236. Condolences may be emailed to Holland-harrisfuneralhome@comcast.net.