Roll Call Tribute

Jagdish Nath John 

April 11, 1933 - January 30, 2026 

Jagdish Nath John passed away at his home in Sugar Land, Texas on January 30, 2026. He was born on April 11, 1933 in Mukteswar-Kumau, District Nanital, UP India to Priyo Nath John and Budhwanti John. He had 9 siblings. Jagdish grew up in Mukteswar until age 12. After completing 6th grade he then joined St. John High School in Agra to finish high school.

In 1953 he finished his Bsc in Chemistry from Agra University in UP India. In 1955 he completed his Msc in Organic Chemistry from Agra University in UP India. He served as a lecturer at Lucknow Christian College in UP India from 1955 to 1964. He married Promila Mable Brown in 1959. He had two daughters, Nita born in India in 1960 and Sunita born in 1965 in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1964 he came to the USA and served as assistant Professor of Chemistry in Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. From 1964 to 1968 he did his summer fellowships at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1965; at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois from 1966 to 1967; and in the summer of 1968 at Texas A&M University.

In the Fall of 1968 he became a graduate student in Chemistry at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. In 1969 joined as a research associate at the University of Toronto in Canada. During the summer of 1970 he came back to the United States and joined the University of Houston for 3 months. In the fall of 1970 he rejoined Texas A&M University as a graduate student in Chemistry.

In May 1975 he married Rosemary Gomes at a chapel at Texas A&M University. They were married for more than 50 years. In 1978 he earned his PhD degree in Organic Chemistry from Texas A&M University. He moved to Houston, Texas in 1978. In January 1979 his son Neal was born at Park Plaza Hospital in Houston, Texas.

From 1980-1988 he worked as an assistant Professor at Texas Southern University. In 1989 he joined Houston Community College as a professor in Chemistry and then retired in 2010 as a full time employee. He continued to work part time in the same college for a few years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, all but one of his siblings, his daughters Nita and Sunita, and grandson Brian. He is survived by his wives Promila and Rosemary, his son Neal, his grandchildren Nisha, Serina, Sarah, and Derek, his five-great grandchildren, along with many other nieces and nephews.

He attended church regularly and watched local and national newscasts every night. He read the newspaper daily. He enjoyed watching Houston Texans and Texas A&M Football games.

Rest in peace Jagdish.

A Celebration of Life was held at Sugar Land Mortuary, Sugar Land, Texas, on February 8, 2026.