John Ray Southard, age 77 years, of Clinton, Missouri passed away September 17, 2026 at Centerpoint Hospital, Independence, Missouri. Celebration of Life will be held 2:00PM Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at Vansant-Mills Chapel, Clinton, Missouri.  The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service from 1:00-2:00PM. Inurnment will follow in Johnstown Cemetery, Ballard, Missouri.  Family suggests memorial contributions be made to Johnstown Cemetery and may be left in care of the funeral home.  Fond memories and condolences may be left online at www.vansant-millsfuneralhome.com .

Johnny was born at Trinity Lutheran Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri on July 4, 1949 the son of Ralph and Datha (Setzer) Southard.He lived in Kansas City, Kansas until he was 10 or 11 years old.

He was kinda an ornery kid, always doing something he should not do. One time, he got his arm stuck in the washing machine wringer. On another occasion at his grandparents' house he got his shoes stuck in the mud and they came off. He told his Aunt Anita, he would go in Pop's barn and put on the harness. He loved horses. I guess he was pretending he was a horse.

He lived in Kansas City, KS in his younger years, moving to Golden, Colorado in the late 1950s. He graduated from Golden High School and later moved to Oklahoma, where they resided in Muldrow, Oklahoma until about 1999 or 2000. He then moved with his Mom to Clinton, Missouri.

John was preceded in death by his mother Datha Southard, his father Ralph Southard and sister Doris Ferguson.

Survivors include, Uncle Ronald Setzer, Aunt Anita Fickle, Aunt Marjorie Adams, Aunt Evelyn Boyer, Brother-in-Law Ronald Ferguson and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was always "Daddy's Little Boy."

In September 2023, he got where he couldn't stay at home any longer and went to Clinton Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. We would like to thank them for taking good care of him. He liked the people there and care about them.

We will miss him very much.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Vansant-Mills Funeral Home of Clinton, Missouri.