John Warren Ramsey died peacefully on January 11, 2022 in Tennessee at Morning Pointe Assisted Living of Tullahoma. A native son of Arkansas, he was born on December 7, 1930 to Eva Marie and Warren Arthur Ramsey in Monticello. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Donna Ramsey; his son, Mark McSaen Ramsey; his sister, Carmen Leonard; his niece, Donna Bratz; and his long-time companion, Katherine Mays.
John is survived by his daughter, Dr. Laurie Anne Ramsey of Sewanee, Tennessee and her companion, Claude Gerling of Strasbourg, France; John’s nieces and nephews in Arkansas: Carol Ellen Thompson, Butch Selig (Judy), Eleanor Lynn O’Neal, James Arthur Leonard, Julie Fitzwater, Phyllis Jolley (Tim), and Sarah Leonard; many great and great-great nieces and nephews; and in Virginia, Katherine’s children: Linda Mays, Rob Mays (Sybil), and Kathy Coleman (Sam).
John’s ashes will be scattered in Virginia and Arkansas, following a memorial service in Norfolk at a later date. Arrangements and tributes will be updated at https://www.moorecortner.com/ by Moore-Cortner Funeral Home in Winchester, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to support Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Christian Appalachian Project, Feeding America, Southern Poverty Law Center, or a charity of your choice.
John Ramsey led an extraordinary life. From humble beginnings in the Depression and at an excellent public high school in Monticello, Arkansas, this Eagle Scout went on to earn a BA at Monticello Agricultural and Mechanical College (now the University of Arkansas at Monticello), an MA at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and a PhD in Political Science at the University of Missouri. As a high school government teacher in Kirkwood, Missouri, he met Donna Drane, and they married in 1961. After living in Columbia and having their eldest child, Laurie, they moved to Wake Forest, NC for a year and then to Norfolk, VA for his tenured position in the Department of Political Science and Geography at Old Dominion University, from which he retired early in 1992 after his beloved “Miss Engel,” herself a German teacher at Maury High School, suffered an untimely death from cancer the year before. John taught part-time at the College of William and Mary before fully retiring.
Insisting upon the title of “Mr. Ramsey” rather than “Professor” or “Doctor,” he left a long legacy of students to whom he taught academic rigor, critical thinking, respect for government, discernment of truth, and concise, precise, and elegant writing, which he himself had learned from the formidable Vera Stone, his high school English teacher. He instilled in his students a respect for facts and research through his infamous “ODU Library Project.” He expressed pride in notable students who went on to careers in public service, the legal profession, business enterprises, government agencies, and education, and he remained a friend, mentor, or father figure to many. He gleaned immense satisfaction in having “made a difference” as a teacher.
His efforts to fight against poverty and racism, which he had first witnessed in the segregated South, were personal in nature. He made a point of befriending people of color. His generosity to those less fortunate than he led to years of serving food in a soup kitchen, helping clients an overnight homeless shelter, delivering meals to homebound seniors, as well as supporting numerous people, charitable organizations, and his last church home, First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk, Virginia.
John and Donna’s frugal living permitted them to travel broadly. Their trips to Europe, begun in the 1970s, instilled in them and their daughter a sense of open-mindedness and curiosity, delight in diversity, and hunger for knowledge. John returned many times to the Continent and the United Kingdom, both with family and later with Katherine. In addition to explorations of the American West and South, he realized two life-long dreams in solo trips to Australia in 2004 and Scandinavia in 2008. In 2017, his wanderlust led to his final trip, a move to Tennessee to be close to Laurie in his final years, allowing her the honor of giving back to a truly devoted and loving father. He was grateful to his many caregivers.
Despite his professional preference for suit-and-tie, his flat-top haircut since age 20, and his typically formal demeanor, John Ramsey’s other main goal in life was to make people laugh. His wry, irreverent, and sharp wit was inspired especially by Jonathan Winters, and John’s refusal to respond to questions with straight answers confused many and delighted the rest. His humor, intelligence, and hearty laughter filled the hearts of those around him, and he will be sorely missed.
