John William Hester

John William Hester, 83, of Cleveland went to be with the Lord Monday, October 11, 2021. Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 14, 2021, at Ray Funeral Home in Cleveland, MS. A second visitation will be 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Friday, October 15, 2021, with a Celebration of Life Service to follow at Ray Funeral Home. Interment immediately after at Shelby Cemetery.
John was born July 1, 1938, in Laurel, Mississippi to T.A. "Red" Hester and Eleanor (Ellen Orr) Hester.
The family moved to Shelby, Mississippi in 1943 and John graduated at Shelby High School. He married Ollie Rae Strode of Clarksdale, Mississippi August 21, 1960. He graduated from Mississippi State University in 1961 with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering.
John and Rae had 4 children: John Jr., Kenneth Raymond, Michelle Lee, and Michael Dunn. John's career as an engineer spanned 7 years with the U.S. government flood prevention section first in New Albany, then Batesville, and last in Oxford, Mississippi with the design unit. He then went into private practice as a professional engineer and professional land surveyor in which status he remained until his retirement in 2010.
John's practice, as a professional engineer, led him and his family to Clarksdale in 1970 and to Water Valley in 1983 then back to Shelby in 1990. He and Rae finally moved to Cleveland, Mississippi in 2013.
His engineering practice included work on large scale agricultural and aquacultural developments in Mozambique, Malawi, Liberia, Nigeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These works included irrigation, water supply and drainage. In his latter years of practice, he also worked on large scale egg production complexes within the poultry industry, primarily in Mississippi, but also in Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, and Kentucky.
John sang in the choir for each church to which he belonged until ill health caused him to retire his voice as well.
John was preceded in death by his father and mother and his older brother, Tom.
John and Rae made sure that family was most important in their lives here on Earth. Between work and church, the family was involved with outings at Desoto Lake for fishing, water skiing, and cookouts. Youth sports, baseball, football, and basketball were practically daily occurrences with the kid's alternating times and practices as well as games.
John's hobbies, changing through the years as changes in age and abilities manifested themselves, included hunting, kids, fishing, kids, water skiing, kids, playing tennis, kids, and golf. He leaves his beloved wife, Rae; children, John Jr. (Xiaoming), Kenneth (Temple), Michelle Dominy (Steve), Michael (Jeannie); grandchildren, Kate Hester, Clay Dominy, Tessa Dominy, Angel Hester, and Owen Hester; step grandchildren, Suede Ferri (Laura Beth and children Emma and Anna), Phoebe Ferri, Noah Ferri.

Visitation

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Thursday, October 14, 2021
Ray Funeral Home 206 Bishop Road Cleveland, Mississippi, United States 38732

Visitation

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Friday, October 15, 2021
Ray Funeral Home 206 Bishop Road Cleveland, Mississippi, United States 38732

Celebration of Life

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Friday, October 15, 2021
Ray Funeral Home 206 Bishop Rd Cleveland, Mississippi, United States 38732

Interment

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Friday, October 15, 2021
Shelby Cemetery Shelby Shelby, Mississippi, United States