John Thomas Barefoot

John Thomas Barefoot, age 90, of Clinton passed away on Thursday, December 1, 2022 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC following a brief illness. John was born June 27, 1932 in Moultrie, GA and was the son of John Wreston and Margaret Fisher Barefoot.

John’s family relocated from Georgia to Southeastern North Carolina when he was a young boy and he has resided in Sampson County since that time. Following his graduation from Taylor’s Bridge High School, he worked for several years before joining the United States Army in 1953 and serving in Korea. During his time of military service, he was awarded numerous service medals, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. After his honorable discharge and return to NC, he continued to serve in the North Carolina National Guard.

In 1957, he married the love of his life, Dorothy Lee Myers, and they had one daughter, Kathy Barefoot Alexander, the second love of his life. They remained devoted to one another and to their family for 64 years until her death in January, 2021.

For the majority of his career, John worked in several different locations as a Consumer Safety Inspector with the United States Department of Agriculture. He retired from the USDA in 1992. As the story goes, he was asked to travel to an out-of-state mandatory training which coincided with the timeframe of the expected arrival of his first grandchild. When he refused, they reiterated that it was a requirement. So he chose to retire. That’s who he was...family always came first.

Following his retirement, John was blessed with two grandchildren, Elizabeth Anne Alexander McDonald, and Thomas Brian Alexander, Jr. Being their Grandaddy and spending time with them was his favorite thing in the entire world. From the time they were tiny toddlers, he would often pick them up on Fridays, and they would spend the weekend with him and Grandmother. During those formative years, he taught them invaluable life lessons like how to play poker, checkers, and spades, to hunt and fish, and the value of carrying a pocket knife. He spoiled them with junk food, presents, and toys big and small, including their own go-carts to ride around the farm. He was the perfect Grandaddy.

As much as John loved his family, he also loved his friends and his community. He would do anything, for anyone. All they had to do was ask. He was an avid gardener and loved the summer vegetable season. He grew a variety of vegetables on multiple acres and when the crops were ripe and ready, he would call friends and neighbors to let them know. It made him very happy to see others enjoy the bounty of his labor.

John was an incredibly kind, caring, and gentle man.  He will be missed by all who knew him but we rejoice that he is in heaven with the others that we miss so much.

He is survived by his daughter, Kathy Barefoot Alexander; grandchildren, Elizabeth Alexander McDonald and husband, Caleb, and Thomas Brian Alexander, Jr. and wife Christine; brothers Carl Barefoot and Paul Barefoot, and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2022 in the Crumpler-Honeycutt funeral home chapel.

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