John McQuiller Jr.

John Roosevelt McQuiller, Jr. was born on April 10, 1943 to his parents Flora Bell Shaw McQuiller and John Roosevelt McQuiller, Sr. Born in Eupora, Mississippi, John lived there until the age of 2 or 3 when he moved to Junction City, Kansas with his father. At the age of 11 or 12, he spent formative years with his nurturing grandparents, Elizabeth (Grandma Lizzie) and Louis (Papa) McQuiller.

On his grandfather’s farm, he learned and developed skills that were important to the rest of his life. These skills were the foundation for his reverence for the earth and its ability to sustain communities. His gardening skills were admired by his neighbors and became the foundation for growing gardens and lasting relationships. Sowing seeds of connection through the exchange of skills and ideas was at the heart of John’s passion.

John had multiple hobbies and interests which in retrospect proved to be more than one dimensional in purpose and intent. For example, he was a machinist, an engineer, he built furniture on occasion and he could repair almost anything. Even his own children referred to him as a “jack of all trades”.

He made his way in this world by his creativity, his ingenuity and his quiet confident faith. His place and posture within his family mirrored his place and posture in life. John was the eldest of two children-himself and his sister, Jurleon born to John and Flora Bell. When his father remarried, John gained two brothers, Larry and David and additional sisters Ilene, Ruth Alice, Dina Kay, Karen and Betty. From his mother’s remarriage, John was the eldest of brothers Ray Clifton, Ronald, Preston, Yolanda, Sumler and Garfield and one sister Caroline. He had many nieces, nephews and beloved cousins.

John moved to Cincinnati as a teenager where he lived with his Aunt Mable and Uncle Shorty and their family for the next three years. He graduated from Taft High School and then joined the U.S. Navy serving for two years in the Navy and the U.S. Naval Reserves for several more years. While working at Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company after finishing his service with the Navy, he met his wife, Dianne Matthews. They married on November 27th, 1965 at Lee Chapel AME Church. It was a marriage that lasted 58 years until his passing. From that union were born Dawnielle McQuiller, Elbert (Malaika) McQuiller, Heather (Kelvin) Ranford. In 1972, the family grew with their second son, Kevin McQuiller. Both Dawnielle and Kevin preceded their father in death. He also leaves five grandchildren to cherish his memory: Joshua Randolph, Adam Randolph, Kennedy Ranford, John Musa McQuiller and Miriam McQuiller.

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