Obituary of John Gordon Amery

John Gordon Amery, age 86, passed away December 16, 2023 at his Elsberry, MO residence. John was born April 3, 1937 in Braymer, MO, the only child of Samuel John Amery and Mabel (Hoover) Amery. He attended one-room Carroll County school, Prairie, where his father and grandfather attended. John was a 1955 graduate of Braymer High School, being the first class to graduate in the newly constructed gymnasium. He played trombone in the “Hungry Five” and was a graduate of University of Missouri College of Engineering. Following college, John served 6 years in the United States Army, with honorable discharge in 1966. During his career, John was employed as an electrical engineer by Western Electric, Wilcox Electric, Texas Instruments, RCA Consumer Electronics, Harris Corp, Big Picture, RCA Video Disc R&D and McDonnell Douglas/Boeing. He was awarded eleven U.S. Government patents, taught electronics at Pike-Lincoln Technical Center, and was a founding inventor of Bug Eye Technologies, Inc. On June 30, 1962, John married his roller skating partner, Miss Bonnie Jean Shirley of Mandeville, MO. John and Bonnie are members of Star Hope Baptist Church. John was ordained as a Deacon/Elder in four different churches as employment took him to various states. He was a 61 year member of Missouri Grand Lodge, most recently a member of New Hope Masonic Lodge in Elsberry, where he served as Secretary for a time. He was a member of the Scottish Rite, Valley of St. Louis, the NEMO Scottish Rite Club, and the Moolah Shrine Temple. He was a lifetime member of Seed Savers Exchange. John held an Extra Class Amateur Radio license, a private pilots’ license; and proud father of two college graduates. John was a student of Holy Scripture, herbal medicine, and amateur TV. He relished technical discussions, plowing neighbors’ gardens, playing Bridge with the ladies of Elsberry, organic gardening, pampering his two cats, and ordering from Amazon. John is survived by his spouse, their daughter, Shirley Dee Ann Jennings and husband, Mark, of Rochester, WA; their son, Dr. John Henry Austin Amery and wife, Jasmin, of O’Fallon, MO; four granddaughters: Samantha Ann and Martina Dee Jennings, Elaine Marie and Julia Madelynn Amery; and cousins: Lois Burnham, Terry Toomay, John Amery and Jimmy Amery. A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 with Rev. Raymond Doussard officiating at His Land Bible Camp; 1251 Deer Run Road; Elsberry. Graveside service will be held at 12:00 noon on Thursday, December 21, 2023 at Braymer Evergreen Cemetery in Braymer, beside his parents, grandparents and greats. The family is grateful for the tender care of SSM Hospice in Lake St. Louis, MO. Memorials may be made to the SSM Hospice (or) Shriners Hospital in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home, 107 South Fifth Street, Elsberry, MO 63343.