Dr. Alex John, Jr., age 74, died at UTMB Jenny Sealy Hospital in Galveston, Texas on Friday, June 1, 2018, at 7:20 AM after a lengthy illness from Congestive Heart Failure. Dr. John was admitted into the hospital in January 2018 with the flu which turned into pneumonia, then the medication for the pneumonia caused kidney damage. Later, Dr. John was transferred to Bay Area Hospital in Webster, TX for a Pacemaker. The day after the pacemaker surgery (4/2018), Dr. John coded and was shocked four times before returning. He seemingly recuperated to some degree until his sudden death.
Dr. John enjoyed telling everyone that he came into this earthly world on All Saints Day (November 1), 1943. He was born and reared in Lake Charles, LA, and lived in Monroe, LA before settling in League City, TX in 1982.
He began his professional career as a music (piano) teacher in his home and the local churches. He later became a concert pianist; owning not one, but two beautiful baby grand pianos, where he often played with other pianists in entertaining venues. Dr. John attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA, Howard University in Washington, DC, Colombia University in New York and graduated from McNeese State University with Bachelor and Masters degrees. Later he was awarded a stipend and several scholarships where he attained the Doctorate of Education Degree at the University of Louisiana at Monroe formally called Northeast LA University (NLU). Dr. John continued to work at NLU as the first black assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Services.
Dr. John worked as a high school biology teacher at several of the local high schools. He was also CEO/President of a myriad of substance abuse clinics in the states of California, Las Vegas, NV, Louisiana, and Texas.
Dr. John was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alex John, Sr. (Ivy Tanner), his sister, Jerry Ann John of Lake Charles, LA, and two sisters-in-law, Wanda Mahannah (Donald) and Ablund (Cise’) Lavine of League City, TX.
He is survived by his wife, Diana Mahannah-John, his dogs: Scout, Bentley and Tracy, two sisters-in-law, Claudette Castille of Eunice, LA, and Sandra DeWitt (Tony) of Dickinson, TX, one brother-in-law, John Mahannah (Cindy) of Moss Bluff, LA, two nieces, Lawanna RarnirezJackson and Kimberly Ramirez, of Lake Charles, LA, and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins, god-children, former employees, friends and doggies, whom he loved dearly.