In the early morning of March 11, 2025, John Paul McAlister III passed into peace after battling pancreatic cancer at the age of 76.
John was born in Fort Worth, Texas to Johnny and Jo McAlister on November 19, 1948, though he spent much of his life in St Louis, Missouri. He married his high school sweetheart, Martha Ruth Landes, on December 10, 1970, and together they raised twin boys, Ian and Arthur while concurrently “raising” the company Tripos.
In addition to being an adventurous motorcyclist and nature enthusiast, John was a brilliant scientist, a crystallographer, a talented biochemist, researcher and software developer. For over 20 years he worked to create, develop and lead Tripos; fostering a competitive yet humane culture of respect, openness, and transparency. Established in 1979, Tripos was the first company to bring scientific computational drug discovery capabilities to the pharmaceutical, chemical and food design industries, and today it is a part of Certara Company, a global leader in innovative scientific solutions enabling life science researchers to improve the efficiency of molecular discovery. Tripos was headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, serving more than 1,000 customers spanning over 46 countries.
After the sale of Tripos business operations in 2007, John continued to work with several entrepreneurial endeavors until his retirement in 2011, at which time he shifted focus to his passion for nature, the mountains, and photography. When not spending time with their family in St Louis, John and Martha with their beloved dog, Max, could often be found near their Montana home, miles from civilization documenting the daily interactions of wildlife; capturing both the life and death dramas alongside playful and heartwarming moments. A portion of John’s curated artistic photography images are available at https://www.jpm-photogallery.com
John delighted in his family, taking joy in his role as a husband, father, and Papa. He is preceded in death by his parents, “Johnny” John Paul McAlister II and “Jo” Marion Josephine Hutchinson McAlister. He is survived by his wife, Martha, his sister Marilyn, his sons Ian and Art, daughters Julie and Amy, grandchildren Katie, Sam, Alain, Jacob and Lily, and dog Max.
John was a beacon and a rock for highest moral standards and true leadership. He was rooted in logic and integrity, and acted as a mentor and guide through uncertainty. John was a fighter for injustice; a rebel for a good cause and a freedom lover with a passion for capturing the beauty of nature including mountains, wildlife, and flowers. He and his wife, children and grandchildren forged many cherished memories on cross-country motorcycle camping trips. He was also frequently found in the bleachers of any family sports event (hockey, lacrosse, track, volleyball, swim, etc) and in the audience of every holiday program, play, musical concert, or graduation. John made these events a priority, and tried to never miss the opportunity to actively love his people through showing up.
A public memorial service and celebration of this extraordinary life will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025, from 6-9 pm. at The Lodge at Grants Trail (4398 Hoffmeister Ave. 63125).
Thank you for creating a home for me for so many years. I may have been a thousand miles away from my own parents, but you and Martha were always there, even through the college shenanigans. Sam and I will always be grateful for everything.
An awesome friend, father, husband, grandfather. A thoughtful, insightful man…..we always had deep conversations about politics and current events. Sharing a love of nature and photography, we played bragging rights playfully back and forth. I feel so honored to have shared our paths in this life.
Prayers and blessings to the family. May you always treasure the memories and photos. MoNEP is such a special group of people and I know John will be missed.
Hello John, Martha and Family. I didn’t know John well but his good temper and friendly demeanor charmed me. I worked with him on our MT HOA board and he was a neighbor. It was a delight to know him and his brilliant mind was evident. You could rely on John for his honest appraisal of a situation. He is a man of integrity and humanity. ‘Bye John.