JOHN DWIGHT GROGAN
John Dwight Grogan, 72, of Memphis, Missouri, passed away peacefully on the morning of Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Boone Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, in the loving company of his family.
John was born November 3, 1953, in Keokuk, Iowa, to John Henry and Joan (Potts) Grogan.
He was united in marriage to Merri Atwater on November 8, 1975. To this union, two children were born, John Christopher and Lauren Rae.
John and Merri treasured their 50 years together and demonstrated the meaning of their wedding vows with commitment and dedication to one another. Through the years, they made a happy, loving home for their children. They taught them by example how to raise families of their own and were always there to offer support and guidance.
John graduated from Scotland County High School with the Class of 1972. He was a talented artist, musician, and athlete. He was a member of the “Dirty Thirty,” SCHS’s first varsity football team, in addition to the basketball and track teams.
After graduating, John was proud to follow in his father’s footsteps, going to work for General Telephone (GTE). He took pride in working hard every day and serving many communities throughout northeast Missouri, providing telephone and internet service to countless homes and businesses. He retired from CenturyLink in 2014, following a career spanning five decades.
The “job” he enjoyed even more was playing guitar and singing with some of his closest friends in his band, Missouri Breaks. The band was the soundtrack to years of fun-filled evenings and weekends across the area, including numerous Old Lake Bashes, fondly remembered by many.
Whether it was hunting, fishing, or working on the family farm alongside his dad and brothers, John loved being active outdoors. Some of his best times were the weeks spent in the tree-stand each fall and spring and the weekend mornings in the fishing boat with his children. He especially enjoyed the challenge of bowhunting, taking his trophy deer by bow in 1995. While they played different instruments and styles, he and his mother shared the love of music and playing music. He enjoyed classic trucks and American muscle cars, but Jeeps were his vehicle of choice. He often took his family for summer ice cream runs (always ordering a marshmallow milkshake for himself) in his CJ-7 with the top and doors off. Above all, what he valued most was time spent with his family, no matter the circumstance or activity. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother, who put others first. He was a man we can all look up to, and the memory of his life serves as an example to which we can all aspire.
He is survived by his wife, Merri Grogan; children, John (Angel) Grogan and Lauren (Ashton Johnson) Grogan; grandchildren, Gillian Grogan, Adam Grogan, Ali Brinkley and Haidyn Johnson; mother, Joan Grogan; siblings, Jana (Ray) Ferguson, Jenci (Hal) Buesing, Jeff Grogan and Jay Grogan; sister-in-law, Phyllis George; many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins; and special lifelong friends, John and Donna Craig.
He was preceded in death by his father, John Grogan; mother-in-law, Doris Atwater; and brother-in-law, Bill Atwater.
Funeral Services will be at 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 5. 2026, at the Memphis Funeral Home in Memphis, Missouri.
Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday at the Funeral Home in Memphis, Missouri.
Burial will be in the Ashton Cemetery at Ashton, Missouri.
An expression of sympathy in memory of John Grogan may be left to the Scotland County Ambulance or the Ashton Cemetery. A memorial may be left at or mailed to the Memphis Funeral Home 378 S. Market Street, Memphis, Missouri 63555.
