John Stuart Cummings Jr.

John Stuart Cummings, Jr. Age 83, died May 24, 2024, at Alive Hospice in Nashville TN. He was born July 4, 1940, in St. Louis, Missouri to John Stuart Cummings Senior and Myrtle Anderson Cummings. He attended Webster Groves schools one through twelve and the Universities of Missouri and Cincinnati where he received a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1960.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Jim Cummings and his first wife Linda Nelson Cummings. He is survived by his wife Ann Swiggett Cummings, his daughters Catherine Ann Cummings and Guinivere (Gigi) Cummings Gallaway, Grandsons Logan Gallaway and Kirby Gallaway, Great Grandchildren Luz, Joe and Lorna Gallaway.

John worked for Dupont and General Motors, where he obtained a patent on the first car bumpers that were made of a high impact plastic. He was also employed by Celanese in New Jersey. He moved to Nashville in 1972 to work for Aladdin Industries. In 1979 he left Aladdin to start his own successful pottery business. John made high fire porcelain pieces for the Smithsonian Catalog. He was honored to have one of his pieces added to the Whitehouse Collection. Collectors from all over the world have purchased John’s pottery.

In 1975, after his wife, Linda, died of cancer, John was the first person to sign the Alive Hospice charter. Dr. David Barton and Dr. John Flexner founded Alive and Linda was Patient One. John wanted to name this new Hospice “Alive”, and that was the name chosen by the board.

In later life John transitioned to photography as a creative outlet. He photographed art and craft pieces for artists in a variety of media. He did photography for museums and catalogs, books about antique dolls and the Gallery Book for his friend and fellow potter Sylvia Hyman. He described his professions as photographer, potter, new product development, new product marketing, chemical engineer.  John had many dimensions and touched the lives of numerous people. He will be missed by many who loved him.

If you would like to make a donation, in lieu of flowers, to John’s memory, please send it to either Alive Hospice or The Nashville Humane Society.

Visitation with the family will be on Saturday, June 15, 2024, from 2PM-3PM with a Celebration of Life starting at 3:00PM at The Pavilion at Harpeth Hills.

Cremation arrangements in the care of Compassion Funeral & Cremation Services, 6949 Charlotte Pike, Suite 104 (615) 857-9955. We are proud to be West Nashville & Bellevue’s only locally owned and operated burial & cremation provider.