MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Services for John Swink Fite, 24, of Germantown, Tenn., who died Thursday Aug. 17, 2017, were Saturday, Aug. 26, at Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis and Harvest Church, also in Memphis.

John achieved the Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts of America and attended Union University and The University of Memphis.

John, who lived in Germantown, Tenn., had a gift with the English language, was very creative, loved cinema and philosophy, had a spot-on sense of humor and was a loyal family member and friend. He was kind.

John, who was born on March 30, 1993, was home-schooled much of his life, but he also attended Central Baptist School and Houston High School. He played church-league sports including soccer. He loved the outdoors and spent much of his formative years on Boy Scout campouts: hiking, canoeing and forming some of his best friendships, talking into the wee hours about God and life. He grew up enjoying yearly ski trips with the Priester clan and trips to the Alabama Gulf Coast with his family.  John had a passion for science and science fiction, literature, anime, fantasy, European metal bands and eccentric humor.

John struggled with depression starting in high school. He saw many doctors, but no one could adequately diagnose his illness. Even at that, John hung in there, extensively researching his condition and reaching out to others who shared his symptoms.  He made a web page to seek information, and he formed a Facebook group to help others as well as himself.  He corresponded with people all over the world to collaborate on finding answers.  His family and extended family pursued every possible treatment available.

Now he is at home with his Heavenly Father.

John was preceded in death by his great-grandfather, Dr. Gilliam Swink Hicks (from whom John got his middle name) and his great grandmother, Cornelia Williams Hicks, both of Natchez; his great-grandfather W. R. (Billy) Priester and his great-grandmother Carolyne Hitt Priester, both of Natchez; his great-grandmother Willie Elena Floyd and his great-grandfather John Ellis Floyd (from whom John got his first name) both of Memphis, Tenn.; John’s great uncle, Dr. Gilliam Swink (Susan) Hicks Jr. of Madison, Miss.; and his grandparents Charles and Jo Ann Fite, both of Germantown, Tenn.

John leaves his father and mother, Matt Fite and Shan Priester Fite of Germantown; his sister, Elizabeth Marie Fite, and his brother, William Charles Fite, both of Germantown; his grandparents, Dr. Bill and Jean Priester of Memphis, originally from Natchez; his uncle David Fite and David’s wife, Peggy Fite, and their son, Joseph Fite, all of Tucson, Ariz., and David’s children, Jessica Bryant Walker of West Virginia and Eric Moss of Chicago; his uncle Dr. William Bradford Priester and his wife, Joanna Priester, and their daughter Halle Hicks Priester of Jackson, Tenn.; and extended family, Jan (Paul) Byrne, Susannah (Wade) Heatherly, and Priester (Jessica) Byrne of Natchez; Ann Marie Cossar and Connie Cossar of Jackson, Bill Cossar of Charleston, and Harper (Heather) Cossar of Atlanta.

Words cannot begin to express the loss we feel from John’s homegoing. But we are comforted, above anything else, that John put his faith in Jesus, and Jesus never let him go.

Please send any gifts to Calvary Rescue Mission in Memphis.