Johnny Frank McCage

Johnny Frank McCage passed peacefully to his heavenly home on May 18, 2024.

He was born on his father’s birthday September 12, 1946, in Trenton, Tennessee.

 John lost both his parents, Betty Kathleen Wilson McCage and Johnny Porter McCage before he turned seven.  He was blessed to be raised by his loving stepmother Alma Jo Oliver Nomani.

John graduated from Biloxi High School in 1964 while working part-time at Gryder Shoes through the DE program at school.  He continued working there on weekends until he graduated from the University of Southern, Mississippi in 1968.  Mr. Gryder had instilled a love of the shoe business that lasted a lifetime.  After over 25 years with Gryder’s, John worked briefly at Belle-Ladymon in Shreveport, Louisiana. as a shoe buyer and finished his career with 20 years at Dillard’s Department Stores as Regional Sales Manager based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He and his wife built their forever home, which he had designed, in Beverly Hills, Florida, and made the move to the sunshine state in 2008.  They moved to the Panhandle in 2019 to be closer to family.  John enjoyed gardening, dancing, traveling, good food and the Charlotte Panthers but his greatest joy was spending time with family and friends “making memories”.

John is survived by Peggy, his high school sweetheart and wife of 34 years, sisters Sherry McGrath and husband Ed of Biloxi, Mississippi, and Sadar Eubanks of Beaumont, Mississippi, and a brother Mike Warren of Jackson, Tennessee. He is also survived by a son Christopher Scott McCage and a daughter Angela Murchison and her husband Ronnie. He leaves grandchildren Brandt Reid of Niceville, Florida, Tiffany Strawbridge and husband Brad of Duluth, Georgia, and Brandice Gammons and husband Dustin of Panama City, Florida.  He also leaves great grandchildren Addison, Cayden, Kaleigh-Beth and Breanna of Panama City and Lucas and Jaxson Davis of Pearl, Mississippi.  All of them including recent additions great-great-grandsons Ellton Blake and Wesley James were loved beyond measure by their Poppy.  John also leaves precious nieces and nephews and many cherished friends.

The family is grateful to his oncology team and for the special care he received from Emerald Coast Hospice over the past few months.  His devoted family and his special angel Elizabeth Wilson filled his last days with overwhelming love.  John’s cremation request is being handled by Heritage Gardens Funeral Home in Niceville, Florida.  If you would like to honor John at this time, please make a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The John F. McCage Educational Endowment will be established to honor his memory.

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