John David Cole, Sr.

Published 7:13 pm Thursday, January 9, 2025

BOWLING GREEN – JOHN DAVID COLE passed away on December 22, 2024 in Bowling Green. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky on June 17, 1938 and is preceded in death by his parents, James D. Cole and Edna Campbell Cole.

He graduated from Nicholasville High School in 1956 and joined the United States Marine Corps. He received a B.S. from the University of Kentucky in 1962 and a J.D. from the College of Law in 1964, and practiced law in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He was a member of the Lafferty Society and a University of Kentucky Fellow.

David practiced law from 1964 until he closed his practice in December of 2019. His early practice included criminal litigation that resulted in the repeal of the Kentucky Habitual Criminal Act. He further participated in the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire litigation. David’s practice included products liability and medical malpractice defense litigation.

In 1966, he married Rodes Kay Myers, a graduate of Brenau College, who died untimely in 1998. They had three sons who each graduated from The McCallie School. His children and grandchildren survive.

John David Cole, Jr. graduated from Mississippi State University and Chase College of Law and practices in Bowling Green, where he resides with his son, William David Cole.

Rodes Myers Cole graduated from Emory University, and resides in Atlanta with his wife, Elizabeth Scroggins Cole, and their daughter, Marion Claire Cole, and their son, Rodes Myers Cole, Jr.

William Mohead Cole graduated from the University of Mississippi and resides in Bend, Oregon with his wife, Kaola Swanson Cole, and his daughter, Nola Kay McGreer-Cole, and son, William Rainer McGreer-Cole.

In addition, David is survived by his sister Lea Cole Smith and her husband David Smith of Naples, Florida, and his first cousins John E. Montgomery of Columbia, South Carolina and Bob Cole of Louisville, Kentucky.

In 2000, he married Vickie Ambrose Cole. Vickie has a son, William Clayton Campbell, who resides in Lexington, Kentucky, and a daughter, Anne Campbell Hawkins (Jon Hawkins) and grandchildren: Greer Campbell Hawkins, Elizabeth Campbell Hawkins and Lee Turner Hawkins, of Bowling Green, Kentucky.

David was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, serving as a member of the Vestry and Senior Warden. He then served as The Chancellor for the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky. He was a past President of the Bowling Green Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow; and former member of the Bowling Green/Warren County Hospital Commission.

He was an original member of The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence; one of the founders of the WKU Public Radio which is commemorated by radio station WDCL; served as Chairman of the WKU Student Life Foundation and as a member and Chairman of the Western Kentucky University Board of Regents.

In 1991, he served as a Special Justice on the Supreme Court of Kentucky with a published opinion. In addition, he was a member of the Kentucky Board of Bar Admissions for 23 years.

He served as Chair of the Life Member Committee and a member of the Standing Committee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

David’s memberships include the Pendennis Club, the Filson Club, EQB, Hugo’s Companions/The Baker Street Irregulars, and the Kappa Alpha Order.

David was a cherished and respected Dad who was always there to support his three boys.

David was cremated. Half of his ashes were interred with Kay in Fairview Cemetery; the remaining ashes were placed in the columbarium at Christ Church in Bowling Green.

The Cole Family would like to thank Linda Mindel, caregiver and friend, and Hospice of Southern Kentucky (Amber and Dee) for their kind and loving care.

David’s funeral will be on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 1:00 P.M. at Christ Episcopal Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky. There will be visitation with the family from 11:30 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. There will be a reception at the church following the 1:00 P.M. service. J.C. Kirby & Son Lovers Lane Chapel has been entrusted with the arrangements.