Johnnie C. Blakely

John Blakely was born in Asheville, North Carolina on September 29, 1947. He was the first child of Johnny and Lillie Maude Blakely. John, or “Cal” as he was affectionately known by family, embraced Christianity at an early age, aligning with the Christian Methodist Episcopal faith. He was a graduate of Stephens Lee High School, after which he continued his education at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, and later Yale University in New Haven, CT where he studied law and political science. John was always interested in advancing the black community and society in general. This desire to help others inspired the founding of Bennett, Blakely, and Associates- a company providing free legal advice to those in need. Upon his return to Atlanta GA, he began working at what was then known as Southern Bell, later to be Bellsouth and AT&T. Always ambitious, he worked his way from a tech “climbing poles” as he liked to say, to an executive position that allowed him to travel extensively while educating and promoting a dynamic image of Bellsouth/AT&T. At the same time as these remarkable accomplishments, John was also continuing to be a positive influence in his community as part of the Adopt-A-Student program. John had numerous hobbies and interests that included: fishing, body building, jogging, traveling, Civil War history, playing cards, music of all genres, engaging in political and religious debate, Atlanta sports (especially the Braves and the Falcons), cartoons and fantasy films, and trying his luck with lotteries and casinos. He was especially fond of Atlantic City and made yearly trips there for much of his life. In addition to these activities, John also had a love of relaxing with his favorite fried chicken and a cold beer or Rusty Nail. Later in life, he was content to simply lie back and watch his favorite channel, NHK, while enjoying his Klondike bars. On Sunday March 26, 2023 John passed away peacefully in his sleep, after fighting valiantly against an extended illness. He was preceded in death by his wife Annie Blakely, his parents Johnny and Maude Blakely, and his younger brother James “Bay” Blakely. He will be greatly mourned by his children Jonathan Blakely and Chandra Blakely, son-in-love Derick Myrick, nephews Kevin, Nicky, and Keith Blakely, and surrogate daughters Latieeka Corbin and Saniyyah Rahman, along with several dearly loved great nieces and nephews, sisters and brothers-in-law, and countless devoted family and friends.