John Griffith MacConnell

John Griffith MacConnell, 80, of Lansing, NC, died Saturday, May 27, 2023, at Ashe Memorial Hospital.

John was born in Chicago, son of the late Norman D. and Daisy W. MacConnell. He was raised in Cicero, Illinois, where he attended Morton High School. John furthered his undergraduate education at the University of Illinois for his bachelor’s degree, and at the University of Michigan for his master’s and PhD degrees, finishing in 1969. He pursued post-doctoral studies at the University of Georgia and Syracuse University.

John taught at Dalton State College in Georgia, where he met his wife Barbara. He was soon recruited by Merck & Co. in Rahway N.J. as a research chemist in natural products. During his career with Merck he received several patents and formal recognition, and his work was frequently published. He retired from Merck in 1993.

In 1988, John and Barbara purchased land in Ashe County with an eye toward retirement. After a few years of vacationing on their property, John developed plans and began construction of his house in 1997, moving to Lansing upon its completion.

John quickly became engaged with his new community, volunteering for many organizations that reflected his wide-ranging interests. He was a long-time member of the Friends of the Library, and served as its president. He and several fellow retirees formed a “Wednesday Morning Group” to help the Friends catalog books donated to the library; he also spent hours reading to the visually impaired. John taught himself to speak German, and enjoyed many years as a member of the local German Club. He was a board member of the National Committee for the New River (now the New River Conservancy), where he put his career as a chemist to work helping develop the organization’s water-quality monitoring program. John was a member of the Ashe Civic Center board, and volunteered for the annual Blue Ridge Brutal Bike Ride, putting up pre-dawn route signs and directing riders through intersections. He was often seen on stage and behind the scenes at the Civic Center in Little Theater productions. He was a dedicated board member of the Ashe County Arts Council, volunteering for virtually every event on the Arts Council’s calendar. John’s deep love for classical music led him to co-found the Ed Perzel Chamber Music Series, where his knowledge of music helped guide many concert selections. His innate curiosity led him beyond Ashe County as well. His far-flung travels took him to Borneo and Malaysia, to Costa Rica and South Africa, where he observed exotic birds, but he was just as fascinated by the ones that came to his own backyard feeders.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara Ann (Cernansky) MacConnell, in 1991. He is survived by his brother, D. Jack MacConnell and wife Cristina, and nephew Louis of Catonsville, Md. John also leaves behind countless friends who will long cherish the memory of his dry wit and ever-present warmth.

Memorials may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org), or to a charitable organization of your choice.