John Gordon Primeau

Born on August 2, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan, John was the youngest child of Bernard Primeau and Marion Sarns.  In 1961, at the age of 18, he moved to Florida with Jill, his high school sweetheart and the love of his life.  They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last month.

John began his banking career at the age of 18 as a bank teller at Hollywood Federal Savings & Loan.  He worked his way up through the banking profession, earning an MBA from Barry University with a 4.0 GPA while also working full-time. Throughout his long and respected career, which spanned more than sixty years, he served as President and CEO at two different banks and as Executive Vice President at several others.  His most recent role was Executive Vice President with Centennial Bank.

John was most known for his unwavering commitment to various civic and charitable organizations. John served as Mayor and Town Councilman for the Town of Davie and as President of the Davie-Cooper City Chamber of Commerce. He has served as a board member for the American Red Cross, the Barry University School of Business Advisory Council, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and was the chair of the American Diabetes Association. He also served on the board of the South Broward Hospital District for eight years, two of which were as its Chairman.  At the time of his passing, he sat on the Board of Trustees of Women in Distress, the Board of Directors of Broward Partnership for the Homeless, the Board of Trustees of Barry University, and the State of Florida Consumer Affairs Council and was the President of the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County.  He was also a current member of the Broward County Housing Finance Authority and the United Way Audit Committee. He has been awarded numerous awards for his service, including the Sunshine Health Humanitarian of the Year Award.

John is preceded in death by his brother William [“Bill”].  He is survived by his loving wife Jill, his daughter Michele and her husband Kenneth Taylor, M.D., his son John and his wife Rebecca, his son Scott and his wife Meredith, his sister Sharon “Faye”, and grandchildren Vivian, Audrey, Kelly, Rachel, Nathan “Nate”, and David.

A Memorial Service will be held Monday, January 23, 2023, at 10:00 am at St. David’s Catholic Church - 3900 S. University Drive, Davie, FL 33328. 

There will be a Celebration of Life on Monday, January 23, 2023, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Signature Grand – 6900 W. State Road 84, Davie, FL 33317.  Per his wishes, the family is holding a celebration of life instead of a traditional viewing/visitation.

Family and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Service and the Celebration of Life. 

IIn lieu of flowers, memorial contributions honoring John may be made either to the Sallarulo’s Race for Champions/Special Olympics of Florida, of which John was a long-time supporter, or the Alzheimer’s Association, in honor of his wife, Jill, who has been battling the disease for the past several years.

Arrangements entrusted to Fred Hunter’s Funeral Home, 6301 Taft Street, Hollywood, FL 33024-5934.