Dr. Paul Vail : Obituary

Dr. John Paul Vail age 78 of Riverwood Rd. Ellijay died Monday March 11,2013.

As State Deputy School Superintendent, upon leaving the Georgia Department of Education, Dr. John Paul Vail predicted he would be outstanding in his field. And he was. One could see him in his farm field viewing his donkeys, or goats, or beefalos. Few knew that this mild mannered, soft spoken, wise man was an educational leader in Georgia. He loved the North Georgia mountains and planned many years to retire and live his life enjoying the people and culture of North Georgia. He preferred to keep a low profile, volunteering and participating in civic and educational groups. He was a member of the Ellijay First United Methodist Church.

Dr. Vail was born in Webster County, Mississippi to the late Brice and Velma Vail on June 26, 1934. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mississippi State University and his doctorate from the University of Georgia. In Mississippi, he was actively involved in promoting legislation supporting educators and held educational leadership roles as a young man. After leaving Mississippi to work in Georgia, the then governor of Mississippi encouraged him to return to the state, offering promising positions but not educational improvements-the one thing Dr. Vail felt would help the state.

He loved his worked and was admired by his staff and superintendents through the state. As director of the Division of Standards and Assessment, Vail had the responsibility for public school standards, private college and proprietary school standards, school psychology and student and teacher assessment programs. He served as lead staff member for the Governor’s Education Review Commission. In this capacity he participated in the formulation of the commission’s recommendations which provided the framework for the Quality Basic Education Act. He served on the Chief States School Council, was the state’s Millikan Foundation’s representative and developed numerous materials for educational use. He served as a liaison between the state department of education ,the legislature ,and the Zell Miller DUI Task Force.

With his many accomplishments, Dr. Vail placed his family above all. His pride and pleasure in his children and grandchildren overshadows any awards or merits he has gained. In addition the his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife Jean Hensley Vail, and his sister, Marion Pauline Ferguson.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Marylyn Kirkpatrick Vail of Ellijay; three children: Sabrina Carter (Dr. Douglas) of Macon, Amber Spiers (Wayne) of Roswell, and Lance Vail (Barbara) of Marietta; four grandchildren: Claire and Nathaniel Carter, Tristan Spiers, and John Vail. One great-grandchild, John Milner, niece: Gail Laws (Dr. Albert) Columbus, MS, brother-in-laws: Dr. Edward Kirkpatrick (Connie) Portland,TN and Baker Kirkpatrick (Pat) Gallatin,TN.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11:00am from the Ellijay First United Methodist Church.

The family will meet with friends Friday from 6 until 9pm at Bernhardt Funeral Home.

The family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be sent to Ellijay First United Methodist Church 75 McCutcheon Street Ellijay, GA 30540 or designated for pancreatic cancer research at Mayo Clinic. Gifts in memory of John Paul Vail can be made to the Mayo Clinic Pancreatic Cancer Research, Dept of Development, 200 First Street SW Rochester MN 55905 or online at www.mayoclinic.org/development. Bernhardt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Condolences can be made at www.bernhardtfh.com