John Meredith Kelchner, 93, of Pensacola, went home to be with His Lord and Savior on Wednesday, September 11, 2019, with his beloved daughters by his side.

He was born on December 20, 1925 in Pen Yan, NY, to Clyde and Margaret Kelchner. John served in the US Army in WWII, returned home and graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, PA. While there, he met his beloved wife of 49 years, Mary Ellen Mounts. John moved his family to Pensacola to accept a position as Professor of Biology/Botany at Pensacola Junior College. He taught at the college for over 30 years. His joy of flowers and plants extended beyond the classroom, as he was an avid gardener and loved taking nature walks with his grandchildren and dachshunds. John treasured spending time at his riverside cabin in Webster, NC, enjoying cooler summers and beautiful mountain scenery. An active member of Heights Baptist Church, he served as a deacon and loved singing in the choir. John was a Gideon, working to spread the truth of the Gospel by providing copies of the Scriptures to hospitals, hotels and schools.

John is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ellen Kelchner.

Survivors include his two daughters, Kathleen Kelchner Sims (husband, Paul Derek Sims) and Helen Louise Kelchner (partner, Melissa Ordis); his three grandchildren, Jennifer Lauren Sims, Dr. Margaret Helen Sims, and Captain William Meredith Sims (wife, Bailey Williams Sims); as well as his great-grandson, Hunter Scott Sims.

Visitation will be held 5-7pm Friday, September 13, 2019 at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. Funeral Service will be held 10:30am Saturday, September 14, 2019 at Heights Baptist Church, 600 Pickens Ave., Pensacola, FL, with Rev. Brian Nott officiating. Interment will follow at Bayview Memorial Park.

Friends may make contributions to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF.org) or Gideons International.