John Meacham, Jr.

John Meacham, Jr., age 93, passed away peacefully Wednesday evening, December 17, 2014, at his longtime home in Batesville, MS. The family celebrated his life at a service held on Monday, December 22, 2014 at the First United Methodist Church of Batesville, and interment was followed in Magnolia Cemetery. Mr. Meacham’s memory will be cherished by his two daughters, Rebecca Meacham of Bridgewater, NJ, Cecelia Meacham Carothers of Norcross, GA; four grandchildren, Amy Kathleen Moffatt of Dublin, Ireland, James Meacham Moffatt of Norwalk, CT, Claire Carothers Oates (Adam) of Atlanta, GA, Richard A. Carothers, Jr. (Caroline) of Austin, TX; and one great-grandson, Samuel Cavitt Oates of Atlanta, GA, and his sister-in-law, Sue Gunn Meacham of Scooba. John was born August 15, 1921, in Scooba, MS to John Wesley and Lota Cavitt Meacham. He was preceded in death by his wife, Hope Dulaney Meacham, his sister, Ruth Meacham Mitchell of West Point, and his brother, Dan Cavitt Meacham of Scooba. Always an excellent student, John was elected president of his class all four years of high school and graduated with honors. He won a unique scholarship to Oglethorpe University that was awarded to only twelve students each representing a different geographical area of the US. This program involved an educational experiment designed to immerse the participants in an extensive course of study. At the end of the six-year program, the students would have completed every course offered by the university and would graduate with bachelor of arts, master of arts, and doctor of arts and sciences degrees. John completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Oglethorpe before the program was disbanded due to World War II. After his service in the navy, John accepted a job as business manager and instructor of accounting at East Mississippi Junior College, where he met his future wife, Hope Dulaney. He went on to earn his master’s in business administration at Ole Miss and pass the CPA exam with the highest score in the state for that year’s applicants, earning him a Gold Medal Award. John and his family moved to Batesville in 1956 where he practiced accounting before joining Batesville Security Bank, ultimately serving as President and Chairman of the Board. During his forty-year tenure at the bank, he oversaw rapid expansion and significant economic investment in the community. John’s dedication to community also extended beyond the bank – he delighted in serving as an officer of the Batesville Rotary Club, the Batesville Planning Commission, the South Panola Chamber of Commerce, the Mississippi Bankers’ Association, the Mississippi Small Business Administration, and the Mississippi Economic Council. He was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church. In 1986, he was honored with the Batesville Exchange Club’s Book of Golden Deeds for his service to the Batesville community. The family of Mr. Meacham would like to express their heartfelt appreciation for the loving care and assistance provided to Mr. Meacham during the past few years by Earnestine Butler, D. L. and Patsy Morrow, Lorane Burgess, Janice and Denny Sims, and Rose Phillips. They also would like to thank the members of the community and the First United Methodist Church for their loving support. The family requests that anyone wishing to send memorial contributions direct them to First United Methodist Church, 119 Panola Ave., Batesville, MS 38606 or The John Meacham, Jr. Scholarship Fund c/o Northwest Community College, 4975 Hwy 51 N, Senatobia, MS 38668.