John Patrick Miall Jr.
February 25, 1952 ~ April 17, 2026
Born in:
Asheville, NC
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
Asheville Butterfly TrailJohn Patrick Miall, Jr., 74, passed away on Friday, April 17, 2026.
An Asheville native, John was the son of the late John Patrick, Sr., and Paula Lois Jones Miall.
He graduated from Asheville High School, Class of 1970, earned an associate degree from Montreat College, a bachelor’s degree from UNCA, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the UNC School of Pharmacy. Mr. Miall retired as the Director of Risk Management from the City of Asheville after 30 years of service. He was a dedicated member of Brookstone Church, participating in the Men’s Life Group and serving on their security team.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Rogers Miall; children, Leigh Howell (John) and their son, Wyatt, John P. “Tripp” Miall, III, (Autumn) and their sons, Caleb, Hudson, and Brewer, and Allison Davis (Robert) and their children, Elsa, William, Hayden, Harper, Valarie and Coby; bonus sons, Chad Hyatt (Karon) and Clint Hyatt (Candice), eight bonus grandchildren and four bonus great-grandchildren; his sister, Sharon Maynard (Don); and his dog, Gracie.
His family will receive friends beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at Brookstone Church. The funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Jimmy Dykes officiating. Burial will then take place at Green Hills Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Brookstone Church, 90 Griffee Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787.
Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. is assisting the family.
Services
Visitation: April 22, 2026 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Brookstone Church - Weaverville
90 Griffee Rd.
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828)658-9443
https://www.brookstonechurch.org/
Funeral Service: April 22, 2026 2:00 pm
Brookstone Church - Weaverville
90 Griffee Rd.
Weaverville, NC 28787
(828)658-9443
https://www.brookstonechurch.org/
Burial: April 22, 2026 3:15 pm
Green Hills Cemetery
25 New Leicester Hwy.
Asheville, NC 28806
(828)252-9831
Funeral Home Assisting The Family:
Groce Funeral Home - Patton Ave.
1401 Patton Ave.
Asheville, NC 28806
(828)252-3535
http://grocefuneralhome.com
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Pat was one great American. He loved life and made the most of everyday. He will be missed!
He will be missed
Your smile, your kindness, and your courage were a relentless reminder of what matters. Grateful for you always.
John was a great friend to and my wife Barb
He was the reason we moved to Asheville. He immediately took me into his group of friends
John’s compassionate work contributed greatly to everyone in the city of Asheville. Many advanced projects, actions and courageous decisions benefited employees and citizens alike, some were behind the scenes of everyday city work and he never asked for limelight in his great work and always kept public safety in mind. When the city of Asheville acquired the new E911 system John created , narrated and produced an amazing video that explained to our youth when, how and what happens when you call E911. This VHS video was utilized in the teaching of E911 by police, fire and EMS in every kindergarten and first grade classrooms in the city of Asheville in 1990. One of many, many achievements John accomplished behind the scenes for everyone.
John left behind a legacy of goodness and light. Well done John.
God Speed My Friend
My condolences to the family. He will be deeply missed. He cherished his upbringing in West Asheville and generously donated an old trolley bell to my small museum. His name will remain on display for years to come.
John was a gentleman, a superlative person in every respect. May the God of all comfort hold his wife and family especially close in their time of grief.
My longest, lifelong friend. Cub scouts, Trinity Methodist Church, Hall Fletcher Jr. High, Lee Edwards High, UNCA, City of Asheville fellow department head. Very frequent telephone talks, initiated by either of us, of all things he cherished – family, Asheville history, our old City friends, politics, the wrongs of the world. Extremely few subjects he wasn’t proficient in. I’ll miss it all.
His dedication to his friends was exemplary.
John was a true patriot and honorable gentleman.
I will miss his friendship.
John saved my life when I had a stroke in city hall. Condolences to the family.
John is a Dear Friend and I am going to Miss Him; I’m going to miss his humor and his wisdom, especially the way he could articulate his position on current events. Most of all I’m going to just miss him and our Long Winded talks where we would “Solve the World’s Problems”. I’m Very Grateful that John is a Christian Man who is in Eternity with Our Blessed Heavenly Father and His Son Our Lord and Savior! We have the Assurance that non-Believers don’t understand. Hallelujah an Amen!
John was such a special guy. Always with a smile and nice words to say. He will be missed by many
My first thoughts go out to John’s family who he loved more than anything. I am so sorry for your loss. John and I spent our careers together working for the city of Asheville. He was a friend and co worker always willing to help. After retirement we continued to stay in touch and worked on several projects together. I will miss his humor and friendship and we will all miss a great individual who really cared for his community, family and friends.
To all of the Miall’s, your dad was always so kind and helpful with just about anything. I will miss him dearly. May your memories bring you comfort.
A bear of a man with a heart of gold, who will be missed by everyone his life and love touched…
So very Sorry for your Loss . Sharon you and the family are in my prayers Love Ya my friend
John Miall Jr. was the epitome of a man among men. He was deeply devoted to his family, his career, his church, and his friends. John was my Brother-of-the-Heart. I am forever in his debt for all he taught me just by the way he walked the walk.
In losing John, we all lose.
What a wonderful, kind, compassionate, caring human being he was.
Thank you John for the privilege to be a lifetime friend. It’s been quite a ride. You will be missed forever.
John Miall – One of a kind—a true original—and a wonderful jumble of personalities. He could have had a career in anything: a late-night TV host, a pharmaceutical magnate, an insurance executive, an attorney, a salesman, and a Mayor…; or, maybe just a world-class jelly maker. But the title I value most is the one I was lucky enough to give him: friend.
He had a gift for lifting people up. He could mimic our common acquaintances in a way that made everyone laugh—not at them, but in a way that brought us together. His humor was generous.
We walked a similar path of illness, yet some how he was always the one offering me help. “Can I take you?” “Can I pick something up for you?” That was who he was—always thinking of others first.
And then there was that car—impossible to miss. Bright yellow, bold, and completely him.
He loved his wife Sharon and his family deeply and openly. He spoke of them with pride and gratitude, and it was clear they were his foundation. Their love and support helped sustain his strength and his positivity, even through the hardest times. You can check all of this on Facebook.
He was intelligent, dedicated, and took real pride in his work as a city employee. He cared about Asheville—not just as a place, but as a community.
There are people who work for a city… and then there are people who truly serve it—who care, who give, who leave it better than they found it. He was one of those people.
Former Asheville Mayor and City Manager
I remember John as being a very cordial and nice person every time we met.
I think of him as a gentle giant from the wrestling team.
Our thoughts and prayers are with John and all the family at this time.
He will be remembered for his kindness and the fine person he was
I have thought for days about what I should write. The stories and experiences are endless, a journey with John of over 40 years. At the end of all my thoughts is this. John Miall was a truly good man. John Miall was my friend and I am richer and grateful that I was his.
I had the privilege of working with John for many, many years at the City. He was a great man who became a good friend. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time. God speed my friend.
I’m so sorry to hear that “Big” John passed.
Prayers for the family for peace and comfort.
I’m thinking of Tripp and Leigh and their children.
David Olson, retired Manager Riverside Cemetery
John was unique, gracious, kind, service-oriented, and simply put – a good man! We became acquainted many years ago through my employment with Square D Company, and he was the kind of gentleman whom you could never forget. When John talked with you, he talked with YOU! Never one at a function to see who he could chat with next. Unselfish and giving; that was John. I regret that I had not seen him in a year or so, but I always asked for him when I was in North Asheville stopping in at Ace Hardware. I will never fail to think about John when I drive down Merrimon Avenue. My heartfelt condolences to his family and many friends during this difficult time!
Dear Family. Pat (John) was a childhood friend of ours. He was one of the West Asheville gang. Although he was a little older than most of us he and Tommy Duckett always found time to play back yard baseball, kick the can and a host of other adventurous games that us younger kids played. Even at that early age he was a funny, generous, caring, well respected part of our community. It was an honor being such a small part of his life. Our prayer is that the Lord continue to hold you close as you all travel through this difficult season of life together. Bless them Lord!
CIBO mourns the loss of John Miall, whose steady, civic-minded leadership reflected a deep commitment to making Asheville and Buncombe County a better place to live, work, and do business. Through his decades of service to the City of Asheville and his continued dedication to the broader community, John leaves behind a legacy of service, friendship, and meaningful impact. He was a good friend and will be missed.