ATLANTA – Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) announced that State Representative John Meadows (R-Calhoun) passed away today. Rep. Meadows was Chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee.
“My dear friend John was a great man – brave Marine, loving father and adoring grandfather,” said Speaker Ralston. “He loved his family with total devotion. His public service, both as a Marine and a State Representative, was grounded in trying to ensure his children and grandchildren saw a better tomorrow.
“John was outwardly fierce and courageous but he was, at the same time, one of the kindest and most generous souls you have ever met. There aren’t words to describe the magnitude of this loss for our House of Representatives or the State of Georgia, and my heart is simply broken under the weight of this sad news.
“My heart goes out to John’s family – particularly his beloved wife Marie, his children B.J. and Missy, and his grandsons Will, Patrick, and Max.”
Rep. Meadows was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in November 2004 and represented the residents of Murray and Gordon Counties. In addition to chairing the Rules Committee, he also served on the Governmental Affairs, Industry and Labor, Insurance, Retirement, and Game, Fish, & Parks Committees.
Prior to his election to the House, he served as the Mayor of Calhoun for 13 years as well as a member of the Calhoun City Council for three years.
He spent his professional career in the insurance industry and proudly served the United States in the Marine Corps. A native of Calhoun, Rep. Meadows attended West Georgia College (now the University of West Georgia).
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