Truman Lee T.L. "John" Selmon

Truman Lee Selmon passed away July 31, 2009 at the Summerville Nursing Home in Perry, Georgia. He was the son of Travis and Thelma Cleo (Garland) Selmon.

John, a civic leader and businessman, was born August 2, 1930, in Slaton, Texas, and grew up in Sweet water, Texas.

He is survived by his loving wife Margaret Selmon, of Bonaire, Georgia, three sons, Don and Carla Selmon, Gibb Selmon, and Frost and Dena Selmon, and by two daughters Aleta and Philip Casady, all of Missouri, and Tami and Tommy Wood of Bonaire, Ga. Also survived by one brother, Fred Selmon, and four sisters: Billy Francis, Clara Jean, Nelda Sue, and Wilma Ruth. Also by nine grandchildren: Aaron Casady, Logan Selmon, Leslie Young, Abbie McMullen, Dikena Adair, Allison Selmon, Ashlee James, Asa Wood, Ible Wood, and by eight great grandchildren.
After graduating in 1947 from Newnan High School of Sweetwater, Texas, he woked on a railway line crew. He saw a future in communications and began a career in the industry spanning five decades ending with his retirement in August of 2000 from Ringgold Telephone Company in Ringgold, Ga. After working the railway for 6 years, he joined South Central Telephone Association in Medicine Lodge, Kansas in 1955. From 1960-1976 he served as General Manager of the Chariton Valley Telephone Corporation in Bucklin, Missouri. During this time John received the Management Achievement Award and was elected to the National TelephoneCooperative Association (NTCA) Board of Directors and served for 12 years. Serving as NTCA Region VIII Director and eventually elected Vice President of the NTCA board, Selmon was President-Elect when he resigned in 1976 to become an employee of the association. Later, he moved to Washington, D.C.,where he developed and presented seminars to NTCA members. In 1983, John returned to the private co-op sector, becoming General Manager of Ringgold Telephone Company and in 1986 was promoted to Executive Vice-President until his retirement in 2000.

Mr. Selmon had always pursued a course of education including practical telephone courses, International Correspondence Schools Center for Degree Studies, Kansas University management courses, International Accountants Society, American Management Association Center for Continuing Education, New York City; Michigan State University and XEROX Learning Systems Sales courses, Computer-Aided Financial Management for the School of Engineering at the University of Virginia and United States Telephone Association courses. He also attended numerous professional workshops and seminars through the years, speaking at many of them throughout the nation. He had served on the board of directors with NTCA, Missouri Telephone Association, Georgia Telephone Association, Separations and Settlements Subcommittee on Technical Operations, Walker Technical Institute of Georgia, Utility Protection Center of Georgia, and the United States Independent Telephone Association.

Visitation will be held Sunday, August 2, 2009, at the McCullough Funeral Home in Warner Robins. Funeral services will be held Monday August 3, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the McCullough Funeral Home in Warner Robins, Georgia. Graveside services willbe held at the Alta Vista Cemetery Mausoleum in Gainesville, Georgia at 4:00 p.m.
In lieu fo flowers for those desiring to do so, the family requests memorial in their loved one's name to the Alzheimer's Foundation or other charities chosen by the donor.

Those wishing to send online condolences may do so at littledavenport.com

Little & Davenport Funeral Home, 355 Dawsonville Highway, S.W., Gainesville, Georgia 30501