John Douglas Peine
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John Douglas Peine?passionate naturalist, teller of ribald jokes, insatiably curious scientist, and rug-cutter extraordinaire?died peacefully at home (Sevierville, TN) on January 27, 2021 surrounded by his wife and two daughters.
Born in Dallas, Texas and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, John Peine was a 37-year veteran of the United States Department of the Interior, serving eight Presidential Administrations including a decade as chief scientist of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A tireless advocate for conservation in his own backyard and around the world, John cultivated an enormous vegetable garden and orchard, kept horses and chickens, and worked with many foreign governments (including Russia, Jordan, New Zealand, Belize, Costa Rica, and more) to establish and improve national park and biosphere reserve programs. In his career he worked to solve major environmental problems including acid rain and air pollution, edited a book on ecosystem management, and served as a professor and mentor to many students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where his professional papers are archived. Known for his "colorful" sense of humor and his smooth dance moves, John was the life of the party wherever he went. He was a devoted friend, a loving husband, and a playful father and grandfather. He loved all creatures great and small, as well as the stars and planets. He relished his wife's delicious cooking, taught his daughters to sing four-part harmony and change their own oil, and encouraged his nieces, nephews, and granddaughters to defy their parents. He will be deeply missed on Peine Knob and beyond.
He is preceded in death by his mother and father, Anita and Wilbur Peine, and his brother Tom. He is survived by his brother Richard Peine, wife Marie, daughters Mary Anne Hitt and Emelie Peine, sons-in-law Than Hitt and Jack Sasser, and granddaughters Hazel Hitt and Sadie Sasser. The family requests memorial donations be made to the Sycamore Land Trust, the Foothills Land Conservancy, or the Caton's Chapel Volunteer Fire Department.
Online condolences may be made at www.atchleyfuneralhome.com