John Thomas Haggard

John Thomas Haggard, 48, passed away at his home in the Ellison Ridge Community on July 4, 2012 surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with Glioblastoma multiforme, a malignant brain tumor. John Thomas was born on August 15, 1963 in Macon, Mississippi, to parents Darrell Latimer and Mae Meeks Haggard and to older siblings Patsy and Wayne. John Thomas was a resident of Macon, MS, for the first nine years of his life where he attended First Baptist Church; his family moved to their permanent home in the Ellison Ridge Community in 1972 where he became a member of Ellison Ridge Baptist Church after a public profession of faith followed by Holy Baptism. John Thomas’ first major health challenge occurred in 1978 when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma; following radiation therapy, he achieved remission status and was considered a long-term cancer survivor. John Thomas was a 1982 Louisville High School graduate. He continued his education and graduated from East Central Community College and later attended his beloved Mississippi State University. John Thomas was employed by Outdoor Technologies, Inc. in Macon, Mississippi for many years. He is survived by his mother, Mae Haggard of Louisville, MS; brother, Darrell Wayne Haggard of Louisville, MS; sister and brother-in-law, Patricia Haggard Foley and David Foley of Madison, MS; nephew, Matthew Connor Foley of Madison, MS; dear friends, Carol and Jason White of Louisville, MS; and many friends and extended family members throughout the South. John Thomas was preceded in death by his father, Darrell Latimer Haggard. John Thomas was known for his quiet nature, keen powers of observation, and dry wit, as well as for his dependability and loyalty to friends and family. With no children of his own, he immensely enjoyed his role as one of the “bachelor uncles” to his nephew Connor; few things express love, patience, or bravery more than teaching a teen-ager to drive. Like his father, John Thomas loved the outdoors and was closely attuned to the changing nature of the seasons, appreciating the blooms of spring, the smell of fresh-cut hay in summer, and the first silvery frost. Faced with a terminal illness, he confronted death on his own terms- surrounded by family in his own home. Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 6th, at 9:00 A.M. at Porter Funeral Home, with Rev. Billy Higginbotham officiating. Interment will be in Sardis Cemetery. Visitation will be held Thursday, from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the funeral home.