06/04/2026
So sorry to hear of John Douglas passing . He was a good friend to our families & so influential in bluegrass .
John Calvin Douglas
May 14th, 1932 - June 2nd, 2026
John Calvin Douglas, 94, of Newville, West Virginia, passed away peacefully on June 2, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.
Born on May 14, 1932, in Heaters, West Virginia, to Calvin and Elsie Prince Douglas, John lived a long and meaningful life defined by service, hard work, dedication to his family, and a passionate love of music.
Following Navy service during the Korean War, John returned to West Virginia, married the love of his life Autha Nae Dennison, moved to Warren, Ohio, with his bride, and started work as a steel mill worker with Copperweld Steel. The birth of their sons soon followed, first Jerry, and then Blaine.
Bluegrass music was a driving force in John’s life, having experienced it played live at Falls Mills when he was a young boy. He took great pride in taking the music of his mountains with him to Ohio. An accomplished guitar player, John formed a band, The West Virginia Travelers, comprised of fellow mountaineers and millworkers. John shared his passion for the music with all he met and, most significantly, with his sons, both of whom are musicians.
After retirement, John and Pud moved back to West Virginia, where John built a home on property that had been in Pud’s family for generations. John was a member of High K**b Church, where he was song leader as well as superintendent.
John is survived by his wife of 71 years, Autha (Pud) Douglas; sons Jerry (Jill) of Nashville, Tennessee, and Blaine (Elkie) of Newville, granddaughters Darbie Marcum (Mike), Shannon Douglas, Olivia Burns (Mike), Nola Oakley (Kerry), and grandsons Grant Douglas (Natalie) and Patrick Sheehan (Claire). There are nine great-grandchildren who lit up John’s life - Michael Douglas, Elijah Marcum, Amelia and Francis Sheehan, Theodore Douglas, John Wyatt and Weston Burns, and Reese and Elle Oakley.
Visitation will be held Friday, June 5, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the funeral to follow at Stockert Funeral Home, 378 Flatwoods Corner Road, Flatwoods, West Virginia, 26621. Military honors will be provided in recognition of John’s service to the nation. Pallbearers include Grant Douglas, Patrick Sheehan, Mike Marcum, Elijah Marcum, Travis Moats, and Gage Dennison.
The family would like to thank the nurses, doctors, and staff of UHC Bridgeport for their compassionate care.
Stockert Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of John Douglas.
