John H. Wilcox, Jr., the son of John H., Sr. and Harriet Antoinette (Lundgren) Wilcox, was born September 3, 1938, in Tarkio, Missouri. John graduated from Tarkio High School in 1956 and Tarkio College in 1960 with a B.A. in Education. He later completed his Master’s in Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

On May 29, 1963, John was united in marriage to Marylyn Koger in Clearmont, Missouri. They became the parents of three children: Johnna, Jerri and Jamie. John enjoyed being a loving husband and caring father and dedicated his life’s work to education. Early in John’s career, he taught and coached football at JC Penney High School in Hamilton, Missouri. Later he became the high school principal.

In 1972, the family returned to Tarkio, where John was employed as Tarkio High School Principal until the early 1980s. He then became Elementary Principal retiring in 1996. After his retirement, John was employed at the Tarkio Woodruff-Arnold Lumberyard and Hardware Store, then at Tarkio Hy-Vee as produce manager, lastly retiring in 2009. Throughout his life John had a love for animals and nature. Walking his dogs and working in his yard growing beautiful flowers became favorite ways to relax.

John passed away Wednesday, August 7, 2019, at Maryville Living Center, Maryville, Missouri, at the age of 80. John was an active member of the Tarkio United Methodist Church and enjoyed singing in the choir. He served on the Fairfax Community Hospital Board, the Mule Barn Guild, the Tarkio Centennial Board and was the former president of the Lions Club in Hamilton, and sang in the gospel Christian group, “Law and Order.”

Besides his parents, John was preceded in death by son, Jamie Wilcox. Survivors include wife, Marylyn Wilcox, Maryville; two daughters, Johnna Wilcox, MD, Arlington, Washington, and Jerri Wilcox, Boston, Massachusetts; granddaughter, Tessa Keeney, Arlington; niece, Heidi Peroni, Greys Lake, Illinois; and nephew, Kevin Haynes, Omaha, Nebraska.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, August 16, 2019, at Tarkio United Methodist Church. Inurnment will be at Home Cemetery, Tarkio. Memorials may be directed to the Tarkio Nutrition Center. The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall following the inurnment. Online condolences may be left at www.minterfuneralchapels.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Davis Funeral Home, Tarkio.