John McAfee obituary searches have drawn renewed attention following the death of John Patrick “Pat” McAfee, a Hendersonville, North Carolina, resident whose long life included military service, teaching, coaching, theater, writing, community arts and decades of mentoring young people.
McAfee’s obituary was published in March 2026 by Asheville Mortuary Services. It remembers him as a man with an unusually broad range of interests and accomplishments, from Vietnam-era military service to high school drama, rare books, poetry and competitive powerlifting.
A Childhood Shaped by the American Southwest
John Patrick McAfee was born near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.
His early years were spent largely in the West, where his family moved through ranching and political environments in New Mexico and West Texas.
His obituary recalls a childhood that was both unconventional and difficult, but also one that encouraged independence, imagination and a lifelong relationship with books.
Military Service Became an Early Turning Point
McAfee attended New Mexico Military Institute, where he also played football.
In 1967, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and later served with the 5th Special Forces Group during the Vietnam era.
His military years became one of the defining experiences of his early adulthood.
It was also during Green Beret training at Fort Bragg that he met Elizabeth Jean Pinkham, who would become his wife.
The couple married before McAfee was sent overseas.
Education and Teaching Became His Life’s Work
After returning from military service, McAfee continued his education at the University of Texas at El Paso, earning a degree in English Literature.
He and Elizabeth later moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where teaching became a major part of his life.
McAfee worked at Christ School and T.C. Roberson High School, teaching English and coaching athletics.
He later joined A.C. Reynolds High School, where the performing arts became one of his most lasting contributions.
Drama Became One of His Greatest Passions
At A.C. Reynolds High School, McAfee became deeply involved in theater and eventually led the drama department.
He worked alongside music educators to stage plays and musicals and helped build a creative program remembered by generations of students.
The school’s Drama Building was later named in honor of McAfee and two longtime colleagues, reflecting the lasting effect their work had on the program.
Students Remembered More Than a Teacher
McAfee’s obituary places particular emphasis on the young people he taught and mentored.
Former students remembered an educator who encouraged participation, creativity and confidence.
Tributes published after his death described him as someone who made classrooms lively and who understood how to bring students into the learning process rather than simply lecture at them.
For many, his influence continued long after graduation.
Writing Was Another Major Part of His Life
McAfee also wrote poetry and fiction.
Among the books he was especially proud of were Slow Walk in a Sad Rain and On Rims of Empty Moons.
Writing allowed him to extend his creative life beyond classrooms and theater productions.
His interest in literature also led him into the rare-book business for a period of time.
His Career Was Never Limited to One Profession
McAfee moved through an unusually wide range of interests and jobs.
Along with teaching and coaching, he acted in local theater, owned an old-and-rare bookstore, operated retail businesses at the Grove Park Inn and participated in Masonic activities.
He also spent time working at Kanuga Conference Center after moving to Hendersonville.
That variety made it difficult to describe him with a single title.
Teacher, writer, veteran, coach and performer all fit.
None tells the whole story.
Hendersonville Became Home Later in Life
After spending roughly three decades in Asheville, McAfee and his wife moved to Hendersonville.
There, he became involved with the Arts Council of Henderson County and continued participating in community life. Public arts records also list John Patrick McAfee among Arts Council supporters.
His connection to the arts remained strong even after his full-time teaching years were behind him.
Powerlifting Became an Unexpected Late-Life Achievement
One of the most unusual chapters of McAfee’s later years involved competitive powerlifting.
He returned to weight training and eventually entered competition.
That effort culminated in a second-place finish in his age group at the 2024 USA Powerlifting Masters World Cup in Memphis, Tennessee, according to his obituary.
It was an achievement that reflected the same willingness to keep trying new things that marked much of his life.
John McAfee Cause of Death
John Patrick McAfee’s published obituary does not state a specific cause of death.
No verified illness, accident or medical condition is identified in the public notice.
For that reason, any more specific explanation of how he died would be speculation.
His family appears to have chosen to focus the obituary primarily on the life he lived rather than the circumstances of his death.
Family Was Central to His Story
McAfee was married to Elizabeth for 56 years.
He is survived by her, their son Lewis, daughter-in-law Amy Keith McAfee, nephews and many former students and young people he considered part of his extended family.
His obituary describes those students and mentees as people who would carry his influence forward.
That may be one of the clearest measures of his legacy.
Memorial Service to Be Announced
The obituary states that a memorial service would be scheduled at a later date.
No specific service date was included in the original notice.
That means any updated funeral or memorial arrangements should come directly from the family or funeral provider.
Remembering John Patrick McAfee
John Patrick McAfee lived a life that resisted simple categories.
He served in the Army.
He taught English.
He coached.
He directed theater.
He wrote books.
He acted.
He supported the arts.
He lifted weights competitively well into later life.
And perhaps most importantly, he spent decades influencing young people who continued remembering him long after leaving his classroom.
His obituary is less a record of one profession than a portrait of someone who kept reinventing himself.
For family, friends, former students and colleagues, that broad and unpredictable life is what remains behind.