- Date Of Birth: January 20, 1934
- Date Of Death: January 2, 2021
- State: Alabama
John Bates Bostick, longtime Alabama assistant basketball coach, born in Winfield, Alabama, January 20, 1934, died January 2, 2021, at DCH Medical Center. John was a member of the 1952 state championship basketball team at Winfield High School and was a graduate of Florence State (now UNA) where he was the starting quarterback, point guard, and shortstop, winning 11 letters. As an Army officer he coached the Seventh Corps Jayhawks in Germany. He returned to Alabama and became head basketball coach at Sheffield and later Gadsden High Schools. He was brought to Alabama by C.M. Newton as an assistant basketball coach and earned his master’s degree at Alabama.
Coach Bostick was an assistant coach at Alabama for 13 years. He joined Newton’s Vanderbilt staff where he served eight years, followed Newton to Kentucky where he was senior associate athletics director, and completed his professional career as senior associate AD at Villanova. Upon retirement in 1997 he and his wife, Betty Artis Bostick moved back to Tuscaloosa where they have been active members of the McCollum Sunday School class at St. Mark United Methodist Church.
In addition to his wife of 49 years, he is survived by his sister, Carol Hurst of Huntsville; sisters-in-law, Mary Bostick of Gordo and Paula Highland of Florence; nieces nephews Katy Dyer (Keith), Jack Bostick (Heather), Susan Lowery, Jeffery Hurst (Jenny), Beth Anderson, Bill Boley (Missy), Troy Highland (Melanie), Jennifer Jones (Lan); and numerous great nieces and nephews; and untold number of close friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents Haskell Elwood Bostick, Sr., and Velda Bates Bostick and his brother, H.E. Bostick, Jr.
He was an honorary A-Club member and was inducted into the Marion County Sports Hall of Fame and University of North Alabama Athletics Hall of Fame and was SEC Co-Coach of the Year at both Alabama and Vanderbilt.
Memorial gifts to St. Mark United Methodist Church, 1421 McFarland Blvd,Northport AL 35476; Big Oak Boys and Girls Ranch, P.O. Box 507, Springville AL 35146; or your favorite charity.
