of Little Rock, AR

June 19, 1941 - July 22, 2025

The Honorable John Wade Langston, age 84, of Little Rock, AR passed away on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on June 19, 1941 to the late Carl and Muriel Langston.

He loved Little Rock and served the community proudly his entire life. He was on the cover of the October 7, 1957 edition of Life Magazine, featuring Central High School. He was a member of the first graduating class of Hall High. He enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he received superior ratings in marksmanship. He returned to the state of Arkansas and received a BS in Business from the University of Arkansas. After which, he received his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law. He immediately joined Langston & Langston, a law practice with his father.

He was elected to the Little Rock Board of Directors in 1978 where he advocated and implemented practical improvements for the City of Little Rock, including raises for both the police and fire departments. During that time, he had a fire truck commissioned and named in his honor. He resigned from the Board of Directors when Governor Frank White appointed him to a new Circuit Judge position. Unable to run for that particular position, he ran for 4th Division Circuit Judge where he presided over Pulaski and Perry counties, handling only criminal cases. He served Arkansas in this position from 1983-2008. From 1997-2007, he had 96 percent of his cases affirmed by the Court of Appeals. He attended and became a professor at the Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, where judges nationwide continued their educations in the specifics of their fields. He loved mentoring lawyers, never mincing words, yet giving them advice and encouraging them to study and strategize what was best for their clients and the State of Arkansas. He continued to serve as a judge at-large, substituting for judges and being appointed to complex and controversial trials. He completely retired in 2020, yet he never gave up studying Arkansas law, which he dearly loved.

John was a member of Pleasant Valley Country Club since 1982, where everyone seemed to know his name. As a regular, he spent many hours in the Men's Grill and playing golf, teasing, talking, eating and playing cards. He loved his friends and he showed it with his sense of humor and quiet kindness.

He loved history, especially World War I and II and knew every fact, theory and inconsistency that was ever studied. A masterful storyteller, he could explain every detail in interesting and logical sequence. He was quiet yet firm in his faith, reading his Bible every morning, praying every day and quietly living out his faith by standing for justice and truth in all things.

If asked his greatest achievement, it would be his family. He would shake his head and state that he was constantly surrounded by women and yet, he would have it no other way. He adored his wife, Carol and never understood how he was so blessed to be so well loved by her. He often bragged about how proud he was of his daughters and how good they were to him, constantly telling them how much he loved them. However, his pride and joy were his three granddaughters. He was always available to play, relentlessly tease and get ice cream, especially when everyone else said no. He taught them life skills as he passed down his humor and wit, but most importantly, his legacy of unconditional love. With all of his successes in his career and his life, his best role was being Poppy.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Carol Petty Langston; two daughters, Kelley (Jay) Flaming and Elizabeth (Jay) Creel; granddaughters, Emily Ruth Creel (22), Anna Caroline (20) and Lauren Elizabeth (17) Flaming and nieces, Carla (Allen) Buchanan, Charlotte (Bob) Bomar, Cherie McKnight and Connie McKnight.

He is preceded in death by his parents; sister, Judy Langston McKnight and great-niece, Rachel Allison Rutherford.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to "Verse by Verse Ministries International", https://versebyverseministry.org/ and Christ Community Church https://c3lr.org/.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Sunday, July 27, 2025 at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, 13801 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, AR. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 28, 2025 in the Chapel of Roller-Chenal Funeral Home with a family burial following at Roselawn Memorial Park.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller-Chenal Funeral Home
13801 Chenal Parkway
Little Rock, AR  72211
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com