John Wayne Mittman, Sr.

John Wayne Mittman, Sr. was born on April 2, 1945, in Galax, Virginia, to his parents Alexander and Annie (whom both preceded him in death. John was the youngest of three children, his two older sisters Alice Faye and Claretha (Dorothy) both preceded him in death. John grew up in Galax, Virginia until the age of 8, in 1953, his family relocated to Cleveland, Ohio with his father and stepmother, Dorothy. John was educated in the Cleveland Public School System. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, later transferring to the U.S. Marine Corps. As a Marine, he served a tour of duty in which he fought in the Vietnam War. It was during the Vietnam War he was awarded a Purple Heart. After an Honorable Discharge, he returned to Cleveland where he met Tommie Jean Stevens. In 1969, Tommie "Jean" and John were married and to their union, six children were born, John Wayne, Jr (Andrea), Jeannen Lorean, Ja'Juana Virgie (Jason), Jamecca Kathryn, Jermaine Alexander, Sr. and Jacinta Tommie. While John and Jean raised their children, he worked as a machinist at Parker Hannifin until his retirement in 1978. Later that year, He moved his family to Pensacola, Florida. John spent a lot of time fishing and at the beach with his family. John was a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, and great-grandfather. If you knew John, you knew he spent plenty of time keeping them clean. He was also known as the sharpest dresser, which let to him obtaining a tailoring certificate. He loved his favorite store, Diamonds. In 2017, John's health began to decline, in Dec. 2018 he was diagnosed with Lymphoma. On Sunday, July 14, 2019, after a courageous fight, with his wife and children by his side, he closed his eyes and transitioned. John leaves to cherish his memory a devoted wife, Tommie Jean; eight children, John, Jr., Jeannene, Ja'Juana, Jameeca, Jermaine, Jacinta, Ericka and Alexis; 17 grandchildren, Johnathon, Michael, John, III, Jameeciana, Jiara, Jamesha, Jamiyah, Jason, Jermaine Jr., Jaden, Ja'Zir, Jarrett, Malik, Jeremiah, Logan and E'merie; four great-grandchildren, Jalen, Jala, Journee and Jayvion.