John Galen Cagle

John Galen Cagle, age 76, of Eldridge, Alabama, passed away on May 16, 2026. He was born on December 27, 1949, in Haleyville, Alabama, the only child of Horace and Frances Cagle.

John graduated from Carbon Hill High School in 1968. He later earned both a bachelor’s degree in social work in 1978 and a master’s degree in higher education in 1979 from The University of Alabama. He proudly served in both the Alabama National Guard and the Arkansas Army Reserve.

John spent the majority of his professional career working in higher education, where he built lifelong friendships and mentored countless students along the way. His work was not simply a career, but an extension of his passion for helping others grow and succeed.

He was a devoted husband to Mary Jane Cagle, whom he met through mutual friends. The two were married in Eldridge, Alabama, in 1973 and shared 53 wonderful years together.

While working at The University of Alabama, John and Mary Jane welcomed their son, James, in 1982 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Two years later, while John was working at University of Central Arkansas, they welcomed their daughter, Rebecca, in Conway,Arkansas.

Throughout his life, John was actively involved in his church and many organizations, including Kiwanis International, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Baptist Student Union, The Gideons International, and American Legion. He never hesitated to lend a hand to anyone in need and treated every person he met with kindness and respect.

John never met a stranger. He was the most extroverted person you could ever meet and could strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere — even when his family sometimes wished he would not. He lived life loudly: loud clothes, loud rock and roll, and a loud, hearty laugh that filled every room. Above all else, he loved his Lord, his family, his friends, his country, and Alabama football.

He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Jane Cagle; his son, James Cagle of Little Rock, Arkansas; his daughter, Rebecca Lineberry and husband Chad of Jonesborough, Tennessee; and his beloved grandchildren, Mason and Lynnley Lineberry of Jonesborough, Tennessee. He is also survived by his wife’s four sisters, along with countless extended family members, church friends, colleagues, former students, and all who were blessed to know him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Horace and Frances Cagle of Carbon Hill, Alabama.

Services celebrating John’s loud and joyful life will be held Friday, May 22, with visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. and the funeral service at 2:00 p.m at Eldridge Baptist Church.  Burial will immediately follow at Walker Memory Gardens in Jasper, AL.