IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE REVEREND JOHN WESEH HENRY McCLAIN, II
SUNRISE: APRIL 7, 1938 SUNSET: SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
IT IS WITH PROFOUND SORROW THAT THE McCLAIN, TOLBERT, AND KNUCKLES FAMILIES ANNOUNCE THE PEACEFUL PASSING, IN HIS 82ND YEAR, OF THEIR BELOVED HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER, GREAT GRANDFATHER, BROTHER, UNCLE, AND COUSIN, THE REVEREND JOHN WESEH HENRY McCLAIN, II. THIS SAD EVENT OCCURRED IN THE COMFORT OF HIS HOME IN KENNESAW, GEORGIA, USA. HE WAS KNOWN TO SOME AS REV. McCLAIN, TO MANY AS WESEH, AND AFFECTIONATELY TO OTHERS AS BOR WEE, OR J. WEES.
REVEREND McCLAIN IS SURVIVED BY HIS LOVING AND DEVOTED WIFE OF MORE THAN 41 YEARS, MRS. SUSIE KNUCKLES McCLAIN, HIS SONS: JOHN WESEH HENRY McCLAIN III, THEODORE E.D. McCLAIN, DANIEL WORJORLOH McCLAIN, AND DEVIN WEAFUEH McCLAIN (WHITNEY); HIS DAUGHTERS: JOYCE ETMONIA SHELTON (BYLL), FLORENCE AURELIA McCLAIN (CHINCO), AND MASSA STATARIA McCLAIN; HIS GRANDCHILDREN: BRANDON (RUBY), EDWARD, SEAN, KENNETH, SPENCER, AYANI, AMARIA, KIDANI, DAKARI, AND DEVIN OLIVIA; GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: NAIMA AND ARIE; HIS BROTHERS, LESTER G. McCLAIN, SR., DR. RANDOLPH A. K. W. McCLAIN, REV. DR. CHARLES NYANKOON McCLAIN (ALICE), LOUIE TOGBAH McCLAIN, AND SAMUEL ELLIS ROBISON McCLAIN (ORETHA); HIS SISTERS, MRS. EMILY McCLAIN BENJAMIN, DR. FLORENCE GBEYE McCLAIN DARAMOLA, MRS. CHARLOTTE McCLAIN DEAN, MRS. VASHTI McCLAIN BURROWES (EARL) AND SISTER-IN-LAW, MRS. GWENDOLYN PIERRE McCLAIN.
ALSO DEEPLY MOURNING HIS LOSS IS A HOST OF CLOSE AND ARDENT NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS, GRAND-NIECES, GRAND-NEPHEWS, IN-LAWS, FRIENDS, CHURCH FAMILY MEMBERS, HIS CIRCLE CLUB FAMILY, HIS CWA CLASS OF 1955, AND ACQUINTANCES BOTH IN LIBERIA AND ABROAD.
HE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS PARENTS, THE HONORABLE EDWARD BENJAMIN
McCLAIN, SR. AND MRS. FLORENCE AURELIA TOLBERT McCLAIN; HIS BROTHERS:
SAMUEL B. McCLAIN, BOKAH McCLAIN, DR. EDWARD BENJAMIN McCLAIN, JR., AND PHILLIP GARWAY McCLAIN; HIS SISTERS: FRANCES KOKORH McCLAIN, GENEVIEVE McCLAIN YHAP, REBECCA KOKORH McCLAIN AND JEANNETTE McCLAIN.
IN 1953, AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 15, HE WAS SELECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO REPRESENT LIBERIA AT A ONE-WEEK NEW YORK YOUTH FORUM IN NEW YORK CITY. AFTER GRADUATING IN 1955 FROM THE COLLEGE OF WEST AFRICA (HIGH SCHOOL) WITH VALEDICTORIAN RANK, REV. McCLAIN RECEIVED A TUITION SCHOLARSHIP FROM MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, USA. AT MORGAN, HE ALLOCATED HIS TIME AMONG THE CHRISTIAN CENTER, STUDENT GOVERNMENT (VICE PRESIDENT), THE MUSIC SCHOOL AND THE CLASSROOM. MAJORING IN ECONOMICS, HE WAS GRADUATED SUMMA CUM LAUDE IN 1960, AND RECEIVED THE PRESIDENT'S SECOND MILE AWARD, THE UNIVERSITY'S HIGHEST (ELECTED) STUDENT DISTINCTION. HE THEN ENROLLED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY IN CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS A.M. IN ECONOMICS (1966). LATER, HE RETURNED TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND GRADUATED WITH HIS M.DIV. (1994).
HE WAS A MEMBER OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC. AS WELL AS A MASTER MASON OF THE MT. HOREB LODGE #32, BOTH OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
REVEREND MCCLAIN SERVED AS FORMER PASTOR OF ELIZA TURNER MEMORIAL A.M.E CHURCH IN MONROVIA, LIBERIA, WHERE HE ENJOYED PLAYING THE REED ORGAN; MT. CARMEL A.M.E CHURCH, ARTHINGTON, LIBERIA; AMONG OTHERS. IN THE USA, HE SERVED AS ASSISTANT PASTOR OF AVERY CHAPEL A.M.E CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA; AND GRANT A.M.E CHURCH IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
HE WAS APPOINTED TO VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS IN THE LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT INCLUDING, COMMISSIONER OF MARITIME AFFAIRS, DEPUTY MINISTER OF STATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS, MINISTER OF PLANNING, AND MINISTER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, TO NAME A FEW. HE WAS ALSO EMPLOYED AS ONE OF THE SENIOR ECONOMISTS OF THE AFRI CAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB) IN ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (2001-2003). IN HIS OWN WORDS, “I WAS SOMETHING OF A ROLLING STONE, BUT I GATHERED ANYTHING BUT THE MOSS OF RANCOR OR RESENTMENT OR ILL-REPUTE.”
REV., YOU WERE LOVED AND WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED. MAY YOUR SOUL AND THE SOULS OF ALL FAITHFUL DEPARTED REST IN ETERNAL PEACE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS BROUGHT IN BY HIS WIDOW, MRS. SUSIE KNUCKLES McCLAIN ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY.
FUNERAL SERVICES OVER THE REMAINS OF THE REVEREND JOHN WESEH McCLAIN WILL BE AS FOLLOWS
MEMORIAL SERVICE IN THE U.S.A
DUE TO THE PREVAILING PANDEMIC, ATTENDANCE AT THIS MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR REVEREND MCCLAIN WILL BE PRIVATE – BY INVITATION ONLY.
THE SERVICE WILL BE LIVE STREAMED FOR VIEWING. SEE LINK BELOW
CARMICHAEL FUNERAL HOME
https://www.facebook.com/CarmichaelCares/
CLICK ON ‘SERVICE FOR REV. JOHN WESEH MCCLAIN’
FUNERAL SERVICE – REVISED DATES
DATE OF ARRIVAL AT RIA IN MONROVIA – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020 BY SN BRUSSELS
DATE OF SERVICE IN MONROVIA - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020
ELIZA TURNER MEMORIAL A.M.E. CHURCH
CAMP JOHNSON RD., MONROVIA, LIBERIA
LIVE STREAMED FOR VIEWING. SEE LINK BELOW
https://www.facebook.com/etmamec
INTERMENT
KNUCKLES FAMILY CEMETERY, CAREYSBURG CITY, LIBERIA
** MASK AND FACE COVERING WILL BE STRICTLY REQUIRED * *
CONTACTS:
MR. LESTER G. McCLAIN, SR.: +1 781 910 1610 (USA)
MR. ROBERT E. KNUCKLES: +1 918 855 6230 (USA)
DR. RANDOLPH A.K.W. McCLAIN: +1 704 771 3118 (USA)
MR. IAN YHAP: +1 240 264 7773 (USA)
MR. SAMUEL E. R. McCLAIN: +1 302 685 1643 (USA)
MS. GRETNA DAVIES RICKS: +1 301 367 1483 (USA)
DR. ALBERT B. COLEMAN: 231 880 757 312 (LIBERIA)
REV. DR. CHARLES McCLAIN: 231 886 874 343 (LIBERIA)