John Blair Culpepper

John Blair Culpepper of Winter Park, FL, passed away on Tuesday, August 16, 2016, surrounded by his family. He was 78. Born November 7, 1937, in Gainesville, Blair grew up in Tallahassee. He was an Eagle Scout and All-Southern football player at Leon High School and received the State Scholar-Athlete Award. Blair played linebacker for the Florida Gators. He graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a B.A. in political science and a master's in business administration. He completed the Advanced Management Program for executives at Harvard Business School. He was also a Cadet Colonel Army ROTC, President of Sigma Chi Fraternity, Pi Sigma Alpha, Alpha Kappa Psi and Florida Blue Key. Following college, he served two years active duty as a U.S. Army Intelligence Officer. His distinguished banking career started in 1963 with Atlantic National Bank in Jacksonville. He later became President and CEO of four separate Florida banks, including Atlantic National Bank, Barnett Bank of Winter Park, Winter Park Federal Savings and Loan Association, Pioneer Savings Bank. In addition, he served a Vice President and Director of First National Bank of Central Florida in Winter Park immediately prior to retirement. His community service was extensive, including serving two terms on The Florida Bar Board of Governors, past President of Winter Park Rotary, Board Member of the Mayflower Retirement Community and Trustee Emeritus of the Albin Polasek Museum. He was a past Chairman of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, The University of Central Florida Foundation and the Orlando Museum of Art. He was a Board Treasurer of the Ringling Museum, Sarasota, and Supervisor of the Community Development Board, Celebration, Florida. Blair served as President of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and was named Winter Park's "Citizen of the Year" in 2004. He was named a Rotary Foundation Paul Harris Fellow and was honored in 2015 by Sigma Chi Fraternity as a Significant Sig. He was also a member of Gator Boosters and the First United Methodist Church of Winter Park. Funeral services will be held at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park, 125 N. Interlachen Avenue, Winter Park, 32789,at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, August 19, 2016. Blair is survived by his wife, Diane; his daughter, Betsy Culpepper; his brother, Bruce (Pep) Culpepper; stepdaughter, Kristin (John) Vasilj; father-in-law, Henry K. Bruce; and three grandchildren, Julia, Emily and Joey Vasilj. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. John Broward and Elizabeth "Betty" Culpepper, and Betsy's mother, Cynthia Lawrence Culpepper. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Blair's memory to either Sigma Chi Foundation, 1714 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201, (847) 869-3655 to support undergraduates' leadership development and scholarships or Gator Boosters, P.O. Box 13796, Gainesville, FL 32604 or (352) 375-4683, ext. 5059.