John Wayland Weatherred
John Wayland Weatherred, age 78 passed away peacefully in his home outside of Glen Rose, Tx. on 4/11/22. John was preceded in death by his wife Carolyn Weathered, his father Wayland “Red” Weatherred and his mother Johnie Hodges Weatherred. He is survived by his son and daughter in law Shawn Weatherred and Sarah Ramsay Weatherred of Eagle Colorado; his son and daughter in law Wayland Weatherred and Jena Farley Weatherred of Glen Wood Springs, Colorado; and four grandchildren Kyler Weatherred, Riley Weatherred, Jett Weatherred, and Beck Weatherred. A “Celebration of John’s Life” gathering will be held in Glen Rose at a future date, and the time, date, and location will be posted when details become available.
John Weatherred was born with a big heart and a nature to help other people. John grew up living the American Dream on a farm in Pampa, TX. with his father the Postmaster and his Mother a schoolteacher. As a teenager John joined the Navy and found himself in the middle of the atrocities of the Viet Nam War. John suffered through heavy combat and was one of the lucky ones that came back physically alive but like many others, shattered inside. John got the help he needed to get his life back on track, but God wasn’t even getting started with him yet. God had big plans for John to save thousands of lives on the soil of his home country as well… this time armed only a pen…not an automatic weapon.
John began volunteering his time at the Johnson County law Enforcement Center in March of 1990.when he met his soon to be business partner Jim Myers who shared the same mission. Together they founded H.O.P.E.(Helping Open People’s Eyes) Inc. utilizing volunteers, a shoestring budget, and a desire to help the recovering addict. John was a pioneer in the field of recovery and broke through protocols being the first person to convince the jail to allow recovering felons back into the jail as volunteers to share their experience strength and hope with those still struggling. He then formed the “Hope Fellowship,” a group of successfully recovering people in the community to assist those leaving the jail. John’s motto was, “where there’s life, there’s hope!” and he lived that motto. As a direct result of his actions, thousands of addict’s lives, their families lives, our communities, and our world have been forever changed. Because of H.O.P.E.’s success, the original volunteer operation grew to signed contracts with the criminal justice system all over Texas on County, State, and Federal levels. John will continue to live on to countless new generations through his book “In Search of Good Orderly Direction” which is still being utilized in treatment programs today. A quote from John in the preface to the third Edition “There is no way to adequately express the gratitude I have for the relationship I now have with my family—my sons Wayland and Shawn, who have been willing to share both the good and bad side of our lives for the benefit of others, and my wife and soulmate, Carolyn, who has done so much to help rekindle a fire in me both for life and for work. I truly feel I am one of the most blessed persons in the world because of them. Finally, and above all, I express my thanks to a loving God who has never abandoned me.”
32 years later the program he wrote is still changing lives. John will forever be a legend. He will never be replaced here in this mortal realm, and the world will be a little emptier without him. We should all aspire to take a page out of “the playbook of John” and live a life full of family, good friends, helping those we can…when we can, fishing the best fishing holes, wearing coveralls, driving old Ford pickups,and visiting with the old timers on the square.
Heaven got a good one, but it sure left a big hole here on earth.