Mitt Seymour Conerly, Jr., age 76 of Bowdon, Georgia passed away Friday, January 22, 2021.

Mitt Jr. (“Biggun” to many) was born in Mobile, Alabama on November 17, 1944, the son of the late Mitt Seymour Conerly, Sr. and Rose Amanda Pruitt Conerly. Mitt Jr. met the love of his life – his beloved wife, Pat – at Citronelle (Alabama) High School where they both graduated in 1962. Mitt Jr. and Pat married shortly after high school, and for more than fifty-seven years, Mitt Jr. and Pat shared a life and love for the ages.

Mitt Jr. grew up hunting and fishing in the swamps and rivers of south Alabama, where his dear father, Mitt Sr., taught him a love and deep appreciation for nature and all things outdoors. Mitt Sr. and Rose both worked at Searcy Hospital in Mount Vernon, Alabama, where Mitt Jr. was raised. They were loving, doting parents to their only son –who would later share that same love and affection with so many.

Mitt Jr. played basketball in high school, but his true athletic love was softball. A pitcher, Mitt Jr. was famous for playing barefoot, and he donned his first pair of cleats for the first time years later when he and Pat moved to Carrollton and then Recreation Department Director, Ronnie Young, made him buy a pair.

Following graduation from high school, Mitt Jr. enrolled at Auburn University, where Pat eventually joined him. With a dream of becoming a high school teacher, Mitt Jr. earned his bachelor’s degree from Auburn in Education. With encouragement from his college professors, Mitt Jr. decided himself to become a college professor, and he subsequently earned a master’s degree in history from Auburn.

In 1967, Mitt Jr. accepted a position as a history professor at what was then West Georgia College, and he and Pat moved to Carrollton – where they would remain and raise their family. With a focus on East Asian studies, Mitt Jr. taught about a controversial part of the world during a very turbulent era of American history. To this day, former students of his remark on what a wonderful teacher he was, and the friends Mitt Jr. and Pat made at West Georgia remain among their closest.

While at West Georgia, Mitt Jr. formulated his diabolical plan to dominate softball in the state of Georgia. Recruiting the likes of Archie White, Roger Kaiser, P.H. Phillips, and Bill Bailey, Mitt Jr. started a nearly thirty-year run of championship softball. More on that in a moment.

Working three jobs in addition to teaching history, Mitt Jr. ultimately found his calling in real estate. Encouraged by his friend and mentor, Don Costley, Mitt Jr. obtained his real estate license, and in 1973, Mitt Jr. started Real Estate West with his father-in-law, Ken Thompson. Real Estate West became a premier real estate brokerage in West Georgia, and for many years, Mitt Jr. taught a real estate class. To this day, many realtors in this area were trained by Mitt Jr., and whether you worked for him or not, he remained a friend and mentor to so many.

Did I mention softball? Real Estate West sponsored what became one of the true juggernauts in Georgia softball. Fueled by players and coaches from West Georgia College and the surrounding area, Real Estate West won tournament after tournament throughout the southeast, culminating with the 1975 Georgia Parks and Recreation Open League State Championship. Not content to just win a state championship, Mitt Jr. continued his playing career well past his forties, where he and P.H. and Truman Wade anchored a team that won the forty-and-over World Series in Jacksonville, Florida. Mitt continued to play softball and retired only after playing long enough for his two sons to join him for a few remaining seasons.

Perhaps the only thing to exceed Mitt Jr.’s passion for softball was his love for Auburn football. A season-ticket holder for fifty years, the Tigers both broke his heart and filled it with joy a thousand times. From “Punt ‘Bama Punt” to the “Kick Six” – from Tucker Fredrickson to Bo Jackson – from “Shug” Jordan to Pat Dye – Mitt Jr. shared his love for Auburn football with his family and friends. In 2010, Mitt Jr. celebrated Auburn’s first national championship in fifty years with his wife and two sons in Tempe, Arizona. Of course, Mitt Jr.’s proudest Auburn moment was May, 2018, when his granddaughter, Caroline, received her degree from Auburn. War Damn Eagle!

More than the outdoors, more than softball, and yes, even more than Auburn football, Mitt Jr. loved his family and his friends. Mitt Jr. made and kept friends with an ease unmatched by anyone else. And if you were Mitt Jr.’s friend, you knew it, you could depend on it, and you treasured it.

Mitt Jr. had an unconditional love for his two sons, which may have been tested from time-to-time. But there was never a moment in their lives – not one, single second – when that unconditional love faltered or wasn’t felt by his boys. Then came his six grandkids – and ultimately a great grandson (Mitt V) – and Mitt Jr.’s already big heart grew three sizes. His grandkids were his pride and joy, and a happier, prouder grandfather never existed.

But Mitt Jr.’s greatest love was reserved for his wife, Pat. Married on New Year’s Eve in 1962, Mitt Jr. and Pat celebrated life’s joys together, suffered through life’s trials together, shared a thousand laughs, shed a thousand tears, and forged a marriage that endured and conquered it all.

Mitt Jr. is survived by his wife, Pat; sons and daughters-in-law, Mitt III and Misty Conerly of Carrollton, Chuck and Michelle Conerly of Carrollton; grandchildren, Raleigh Conerly, Sophie Conerly, Mitt IV and Samantha Conerly, Caroline Conerly, Sam Conerly, Latson Conerly, and great grandson, Mitt V.

The family invites all friends and relatives to celebrate Mitt Jr.’s life outdoors at the Conerly residence, 1187 Attaway Road, Bowdon, GA 30108 on Tuesday, January 26, at 2 p.m. The family requests that you bring a chair, wear a mask, and socially distance. Tents will be provided.

A graveside service will be Wednesday, January 27 at 2pm, (CST) at Pine Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery in Leroy, Alabama.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make contributions to the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, 3 Puritan Mill, 916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 or online at https://chattahoochee.org/donate/ or to Victory United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1093, Carrollton, GA 30112.

Messages of condolences may be expressed to the family online at
www.almonfuneralhome.com.

Almon Funeral Home of Carrollton has charge of arrangements.To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Mitt Seymour Conerly, Jr., please visit our Tribute Store.