12/2/1916 – 12/3/2004

John Herman McFerrin died at Brighton Gardens in Greenville on Dec. 3, 2004. He had celebrated his 88th birthday the previous evening with close friends and family.

He was born on Dec. 2, 1916, in Marlinton, W.Va., son of the late Alexander Hanley and Clara Bobbitt McFerrin. After graduating from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Chemical Engineering, he began his career with Union Carbide, now part of Dow Chemical. He established their first plant in Pamplona, Spain. Peg, John’s beloved wife of 62 years died on July 1st of this year.

In his retirement, John became active in volunteerism and became a successful guardian ad litem advocate for children. He was a past president of the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, where he and Peg continued their longtime involvement with human rights; they were among the founders of the Social Justice Program there, including the homeless program at Rowland House, owned by the Fellowship.

John is survivied by daughter, Jane McFerrin and son-in-law, David Greene, of Cleveland, Ga.; daughter, Liz McFerrin and partner, Patt Parker, of Redington Beach, Fla. Also surviving are four grandchildren, Elizabeth Epps of Macon, Ga., Laura Johnson, Jennifer Greene and Christopher Greene, all of Atlanta, Ga.; grandson-in-law, Rick Epps of Macon; and an expected great-grandson.