OBITUARY John Bascom Ponder Jr. January 24, 1933 – November 18, 2018 John B. Ponder, DMD passed away at his daughter’s home in Birmingham, Alabama on November 18, 2018. He was 85 years old. John was born on January 24, 1933 in Somerset, KY to John B. Ponder, Sr. (Clay Co., AL) and Sarah Jane Moore Ponder (Tallapoosa, AL).
The family moved to Georgetown, KY in 1938 then to Birmingham, AL in 1947. John attended Phillips High School where he was a member of the school’s marching band and the ROTC band. At Phillips, he met his lifelong love, Mary Joyce Harris (deceased); they graduated together in 1951.
John then attended Birmingham Southern College (BSC) from 1951 – 1953 where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and was honored to play Taps for numerous military funerals during the Korean War. From BSC, he entered the University of Alabama School Of Dentistry, graduating with the Class of 1957. While still pursuing their degrees, John and Mary Joyce married on June 5, 1954 at South Highland Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL.
Following his graduation from dental school, John volunteered with the US Air Force and served as the dentist at Altus, OK Air Force Base for two years. The family returned to Birmingham where John practiced dentistry until his retirement in 1996. John and Mary Joyce raised their four children (John Mark [deceased], Stephen Allen, Elizabeth Ann, and Melinda Joyce) in their family home in Mountain Brook, AL.
They were dedicated and faithful members of South Highland Presbyterian Church (SHPC) where John served as chair of the diaconate, clerk of the session, trustee, and board member of the SHPC Foundation. John was a long-time member of the Homewood-Mountain Brook Kiwanis Club, a life member of the Alabama Dental Association, and member of the Birmingham Dental Society, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Jamestowne Society. He was a dedicated son, brother, husband, father, and caregiver who also loved fishing, golfing, and watching college football.
John is predeceased in death by his parents, John, Sr. and Sarah Jane Ponder, his loving wife, Mary Joyce Harris Ponder, and his oldest son, John Mark Ponder. He is survived by two siblings; three children; two son-/daughter in-laws; nine grandchildren; and five great grandchildren as follows: sister Beverly Ponder Rives (Bob); brother Charles M. Ponder; son Stephen Allen Ponder (Tracey) [granddaughters Sarah Elizabeth Ponder (Camille Brooome) and Mary Caroline Ponder Duncan (Miles)]; daughter Elizabeth Ann Ponder [granddaughter Andrea Clair Colbert Ziglar (Anthony); great-grandsons Camden Noble and Grant Andrew Ziglar]; [grandson Jameson “Jamie” Allen Colbert (Kate); great granddaughters Sarah Grace, Vivian Jane, and Laura Batson Colbert]; and [grandson Sandar Harris Johnson]; daughter Melinda Joyce Ponder Goode (Dale); [grandsons John Murphy, Mark Patrick, Stephen Augustus “Gus” and Samuel “Sam” Ponder Goode]; and Socks the cat. For friends and loved ones to honor and celebrate his life, a memorial service will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at South Highland Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL with a reception following.
A family graveside service will be held earlier at Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, AL. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials are made to SHPC at 2035 Highland Avenue S., Birmingham, AL 35205 or to a charity of your choice.
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