Kenneth "Pete" E. Hartsaw Sr.

Kenneth E. "Pete" Hartsaw, Sr., a resident of Orlando since 1954, died April 3, 2010. He was born on May 16, 1926 in Oxford, Florida. At a young age, Pete moved to Polk County, graduating from Lakeland High School in 1943. He was an outstanding athlete, lettering in football, basketball and track. Pete excelled in basketball and was captain of the University of Florida basketball team where he was the second leading scorer in the Southeast Conference in 1946. He also lettered in track and field as a high jumper. Pete was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity where he served as treasurer. He graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in accounting in 1947. Upon graduation, Pete married his high school sweetheart, Betty Lou Maddox. They settled in Lakeland and then moved to Lake Wales where Pete began working at Citrus World. In 1954, they moved to Orlando with their two young children. There Pete went to work for the CPA firm of W.O. Daley and Company. He became the managing partner and joined the firm of Peat Marwick in 1984 through a merger of the two firms. During his career as a CPA, he developed an expertise in the citrus industry and served as a board member of Ben Hill Griffin, Inc. and Alico, Inc., gaining a reputation as one of the foremost agribusiness experts in the state. Pete was active for many years in the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives, serving on the board and as president of the national organization. He retired in 1985 and continued consulting as a retired partner at KMPG Peat Marwick. An avid fan, Pete spent many Saturdays each fall with his family watching his beloved Gators play football in Gainesville. He also could be found at many Magic games over the years. A member of the Country Club of Orlando, Pete was a golfer who played with the same foursome for many years. He also was treasurer of the Citrus Open (Bay Hill Classic) and was fortunate to play with both Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus in the pro-ams. Pete and Betty Lou were longtime members of the First United Methodist Church of Orlando. Pete is survived by his wife of 63 years, Betty Lou Hartsaw, along with their two children: Kenneth E. Hartsaw, Jr. (Jean) of Orlando and Nancy Hartsaw Fly (Jim) of Winter Park. He had four grandchildren: Betsy Fly Hill (David) of Paso Robles, CA, Ashley Hartsaw of Chicago, IL, Ben Sharpe (Emily) of Winter Park and Betsy Schatt (Ted) of Ocala. He was especially proud of his great grandchildren: Annie and Thomas Hill and Carter and Garrett Schatt. He is also survived by his sister Dot Arendell (Bridges) of Eustis and predeceased by his grandson, Kenneth Fly. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, April 9, 2010 at the First United Methodist Church of Orlando. Donations in Pete's memory may be made to Workforce Advantage Academy, 2113 E. South Street, Orlando, FL 32803 or First United Methodist Church of Orlando, 142 E. Jackson Street, Orlando, FL 32801.