Dr. John Willie Culbreath, Jr., 77, of Albany, Georgia departed this life on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Georgia.

Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, August 12, 2025 at 12:00 Noon at Second Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 1010 Old Pretoria Road, Albany, Georgia 31721.

Public visitation will be from 11AM-7PM on Monday August 11, 2025.

Interment will follow in the Floral Memory Gardens, 120 Old Pretoria Road, Albany, Georgia 31721.

Dr. John W. Culbreath was a native of Monroe, Georgia, and was educated in the public schools of Walton County. He graduated as valedictorian from Carver High School in Monroe and received his B.A. Degree in French from Albany State College in Albany, Georgia. He received his master’s degree in administration and supervision from Georgia State University, and his Doctor of Education Degree from the University of Georgia. His career in education began in the classroom as a teacher and grew to include experiences as assistant principal, principal of three different schools, and assistant superintendent serving across the state of Georgia in Randolph, Walton, Clarke, and Glynn counties, as well as Atlanta Public Schools. His career in primary and secondary education culminated with his service as the first Black superintendent of the Dougherty County Schools System in 1995 until his retirement in June 2001. On the state level, Dr. Culbreath served on the governor’s Closing the Achievement Gap Commission, the Implementation Task Force and the African-American Male Initiative with the Georgia Board of Regents. He spent six years as a member of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the last three years as Chairman. During his tenure, he was named Administrator of the Year by the Georgia Association of Education Office Personnel, School and Community Leader of the Year by the Georgia School Public Relations Association, and Man of the Year by the local March of Dimes. He has also been named a recipient of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) Excellence in Educational Leadership Award, as well as the Albany Rotary Club Four-Way Test Award. The Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) awarded him the H.M. Fullbright Distinguished Service Award in 2007.

Dr. Culbreath was initiated into Delta Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at Albany State in 1966 and proudly served Gamma Omicron Lambda Chapter in Albany where he was named Man of the Year for 2007 and 2011. He recently received the Guiding Light Award from the Delta Delta Alumni of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Dr. Culbreath served his alma mater in various capacities including the Albany State University National Alumni Association and ASU Foundation Board. He retired as the Dean of the College of Education at Albany State University. During his tenure as Dean the ASU College of Education received the renewal of its accreditation with the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Dr. Culbreath was inducted in the Albany State University Alumni Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2022, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Albany State University.

Dr. Culbreath served as President of the Fourteen Black Men of Glynn, Inc. from 1990-93. These men mentored 21 Black ninth graders and gave them the incentive that their tuition would be paid to any college or university in the United States. To earn this tuition, they had to participate in the mentoring program, stay out of trouble, and graduate on time with a college preparatory diploma. Of the original 21, 14 graduated on time, with a college prep diploma and went to college. On March 5, 2011, Dr. Culbreath received the Key to the City of Brunswick, Georgia, as the keynote speaker for the Fourteen Black Men’s Banquet.

John was a member of the Albany Rotary Club (Paul Harris Fellow). He was a co-founder of Strive2Thrive, an initiative designed to eliminate poverty in Dougherty County. Included on the list of boards that Dr. Culbreath has served on are: the Albany Museum of Art; the Boys and Girls Club; Regions Bank; United Way of Southwest Georgia; the Anchorage; Consumer Credit Counseling. He has also served on the boards of Communities in Schools, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (Chairman), the Salvation Army, the Flint RiverQuarium, the Ritz Cultural Center. He served as the 2007 Chairman of the Albany Chamber of Commerce. He is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Albany and he is the 2009 recipient of the Ed Freeman Outstanding Leadership Award. In January of 2012, he was one of the six recipients of the “Dream Award 2012” at Albany’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. In 2018, he was awarded the Lifetime Service Award by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.

John was preceded in death by his beloved parents John Willie Culbreath, Sr., and Conca Vella C. Shields; his sister, Cascell Camp; brother, Harold Culbreath, Sr.; and his son Adrian Bernard James.

John leaves behind to cherish his memory: his loving wife of over 54 years, Barbara W. Culbreath; two devoted daughters, Cynthia and Carletha (Lisa) Culbreath; one sister, Barbara Knox; two sisters-in-law, Edna Culbreath and Gladys Spencer (Roosevelt); one brother-in-law, Sylvester Williams, Sr. (Carmen); two treasured grandchildren, Bishop Trevino-Culbreath and Lakeisha Locklear-Culbreath; along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.