Basic Information
| Variant / Identifier | Birth — Death | Role / Context | Notable Family Links | Quick Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John James Roundtree (Sr.) | 1917 — 2001 | Family patriarch in genealogical records | Married Kathryn Marguerite (Watkins); father figure in the line that includes actor Richard Roundtree | Appears in public genealogy and cemetery records. |
| John James Roundtree Jr. | 6 Dec 1945 — 4 Jul 1962 | Teen who died young | Listed in family trees as a younger generation member (connected to same Roundtree line) | Memorialized in cemetery records; limited public biography. |
| John James Roundtree (son of Richard Roundtree) | Living (private) | Private person, listed as a child of actor Richard Roundtree | Sibling/half-sibling to Kelli, Nicole, Tayler, Morgan (as reported in public obituaries) | Public mentions are sparse—largely survivor listings and fan pages. |
| John J. Roundtree (USMC veteran) | 23 Jul 1932 — 13 Nov 2010 | U.S. Marine veteran | Separate veteran/obituary records; not clearly the same family as the entertainment Roundtrees | Memorial pages and obituaries document military service. |
Family Roots, Names, and the Small Mysteries That Make a Family Feel Cinematic
I’ll say it plainly: tracking a name like John James Roundtree is like following a recurring character in a long-running TV show who appears in different seasons with new costumes. The name crops up in at least four distinct, real-life storylines — a patriarch born in the 1910s, a teenager who left the script early in the 1960s, a privately lived life as one of actor Richard Roundtree’s children, and a decorated Marine whose life ended in 2010. Put them side-by-side and the pattern becomes clear: names tie generations together, but each person writes their own scene.
The elder John James Roundtree—who I treat here as the family anchor—is recorded in genealogies and cemetery registers as born in 1917 and passing in 2001. He sits in the family tree in the generation before Richard Roundtree, which is a detail that gives the later celebrity connections some tangible soil: a lineage rooted in neighborhoods, jobs, and household rhythms that rarely make the glossy press pages. In biography-speak, this elder figure functions as the origin point—less a headline and more the quiet hinge on which later stories swing.
Then there’s the brief, heartbreaking chapter of John James Roundtree Jr., born December 6, 1945 and gone by July 4, 1962. His life is recorded in stone and online memorials—dates that read like punctuation: a short sentence in the family novel that nevertheless shapes siblings, parents, and memory.
And because life refuses to be tidy, a U.S. Marine named John J. Roundtree (1932–2010) appears in military memorials—full of ranks, dates of service, and the disciplined structure of veteran pages—separate from the entertainment-family thread. He’s a reminder that the same name can carry very different callings and public footprints.
Finally, living in the present-day blur of celebrity obituaries and IMDb listings, a John James Roundtree appears as one of the children of actor Richard Roundtree. He’s largely private—mentioned among survivors in obituaries, named in family lists—but otherwise offstage. In modern terms, he’s the character who’s referenced by other characters’ monologues; you hear about him, but you don’t often see him on camera.
Career Notes, Public Mentions, and Net Worth — the Quiet Truths
Numbers and careers are where rumor either hardens into fact or dissolves into “maybe.” For the elder John James Roundtree and the Marine veteran, the public record is practical—birth and death dates, military rank and memorial entries, cemetery records. For the younger John Jameses, especially the one connected by family ties to Richard Roundtree, the record is thin and tentative: survivor lists in obituaries, sparse credits on entertainment databases, scattered fan-site entries.
Net worth? For private individuals who did not operate in the spotlight as household-name celebrities, there are no public net-worth figures, no glossy columns to rip open a financial life. If you’re looking for a number—an annual estimate, a dollar sign appended to the name—you won’t find it in the public record for these John James Roundtrees; instead you find lives measured in dates, roles, kinship ties, and service.
To help orient the timeline, here’s a compact chronology:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1917 | Birth of John James Roundtree (Sr.) |
| 1932 | Birth of John J. Roundtree (USMC veteran) |
| 1945 | Birth of John James Roundtree Jr. |
| 1962 | Death of John James Roundtree Jr. (age 16) |
| 2001 | Death of John James Roundtree (Sr.) |
| 2010 | Death of John J. Roundtree (USMC veteran) |
| 2000s–2020s | Mentions of a living John James Roundtree as a child of actor Richard Roundtree appear in obituaries and family lists |
Numbers anchor a story—birth dates, death dates, and ranks—while the rest is atmosphere.
Stories, Social Mentions, and the Space Between Gossip and Fact
If gossip is glitter, public records are the filigree underneath. The most frequent public mentions of this name live in genealogical indexes, memorial pages, and as one-liners in celebrity obituaries that list survivors. Online, the name bounces between respectable memorials and lower-grade fan pages that sometimes add schooling or hometown details with the gleeful confidence of rumor.
Pop culture gives the family texture. When an actor like Richard Roundtree becomes a cultural touchstone—think Shaft and the swagger of 1970s cinema—people instinctively trace family lines, as if celebrity is a light that can illuminate earlier generations. That searchlight reveals names, dates, and relationships, but not always the interior life. So the stories you’ll find are often sibling lists, survivor mentions, and—occasionally—anecdotal or unverified notes about schooling or hobbies. They’re crumbs of narrative, enough to imply a life but not to fully taste it.
A Personal Note — Why This Naming Matters to Me (and Maybe to You)
I like names because they are living maps—same letters, different roads. When I write about the Roundtrees, I’m tracing footsteps: a grandfather’s quiet existence, a teen’s premature goodbye, a veteran’s disciplined record, a private adult who grew up under the shadow and spotlight of a famous parent. Together, those threads show how identity is both singular and shared. They remind me—and maybe nudge you—to look twice at the names we think we know. The story is often in the margins.
FAQ
Who is John James Roundtree?
There are at least four distinct individuals named John James Roundtree in public records, including a family patriarch, a teen who died young, a U.S. Marine veteran, and a living private person listed as a child of actor Richard Roundtree.
Is John James Roundtree related to Richard Roundtree?
Yes—records and family listings place a John James Roundtree in the generation above or alongside Richard Roundtree, and one John is listed among Richard’s children in modern survivor lists.
Are there public biographies or net-worth details?
No comprehensive public biography or verified net-worth figure exists for the private John James Roundtrees; most public mentions are genealogical entries, memorials, or brief survivor listings.
What kinds of records mention him?
Cemetery and memorial records, genealogical databases, veteran memorials, and entertainment obituaries or child/survivor lists are where the name appears most often.
Can I find photos or social profiles for him?
Public photos and social profiles are sparse or private; the most visible mentions are in family lists and memorial pages rather than active public social media.
