Funeral services for John Wyatt Stevenson, age 70, of Roanoke will be held on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, at noon at the Roanoke First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Chris Martin officiating. Burial will follow at Cedarwood Cemetery with Quattlebaum Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. Mr. Stevenson will lie in state at the church for one hour prior to services beginning on Saturday.

Mr. Stevenson passed away Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, at his residence.

A Roanoke native, Mr. Stevenson was born on Aug. 8, 1948, the son of John B. and Gwen Wyatt Stevenson.  He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Roanoke and was a United States Army veteran.  Mr. Stevenson held a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and a master’s degree from Pepperdine University. He was the owner/editor and publisher of The Randolph Leader for the past 36 years and past editor of the The Randolph Press (Wedowee). He was the past president of the Alabama Press Association and the National Newspaper Association. Mr. Stevenson was the recipient of the Alabama Press Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Auburn University’s Distinguished Alabama Community Journalist Award. He was preceded in death by his parents and one son, J. B. Stevenson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Randolph County Animal Shelter at 104 Animal Shelter Road, Wedowee, AL 36278 or to the Alabama Press Association’s J. B. Stevenson Scholarship c/o Felicia Mason APA Journalism Foundation, 3324 Independence Drive #200, Birmingham, AL  35209.