John T. Haynsworth Jr.

Johnny (Thea) was a lifelong resident of Florida and a member of the First United Methodist Church in Plant City. He was involved in business from an early age when as a freshman in high school in Mulberry,Florida,he became a helper to the projectionist at the local movie theater, the Calethia.By the time he was 16, he had purchased the equipment, and continued operating the theater throughout high school. The theater became a family-run operation with his sister, Bernice, playing the piano for intermissions, brother, Jack, his helper and projectionist trainee, and his brothers, Raymond and Monk doing the janitorial work. An outstanding athlete in high school, John excelled in football as a quarterback for the Mulberry High School Panthers for four years.

He attended General Electric Technical School in Schenectady, New York after graduation from high school in 1929. After returning home, he went to work as superintendent in the phosphate mines near Floral City. He introduced the chemical flotation process into the hard rock phosphate industry in Citrus County. He continued to work in this industry until the start of World War II. At that time, he moved to Panama City, Florida as a plumbing and heating contractor. Here he installed the majority of the plumbing at both Tyndall Field and Eglin Air Force Base.

At the end of World War II, he started as a general contractor in Panama City and Tallahassee, Florida. He then moved his operation to St. Petersburg, Florida and began an innovative building process of prefabricated housing under the name of Florida Builders, Inc. At one time, Florida Builders was listed as one of the top ten builders in the United States. The firm developed Meadowlawn and Pasadena Estates in St. Petersburg, as well as 999 units of military housing at Cape Canaveral (Cape Kennedy). Florida Builders continued to develop very large military housing units in the Panama Canal Zone, Key West and Ft. Rucker, Alabama.

He developed the LaPlaya Resort on Redington, Beach, Florida. He founded and operated Builders Mortgage Corporation in St. Petersburg. He also founded the First National Bank in Plant City, Florida. He was the principal stockholder and director of Citizen’s National Bank of St. Petersburg, Florida. He was a director on the board of Northeast National Bank and Liberty National Bank and three other affiliated banks of Pinellas County.

Playing the piano was his means of relaxation and his passion He formed a band along with his wife, Carolyn, to play at various events including the Elks Lodge, the First United Methodist Church Stewardship dinners, and Country Meadows in Plant City.He was an avid golfer having served as President of the Plant City Golf and Country Club for many years. He was a Past Master of his Masonic Lodge, a 32nd Degree Mason, a member of the Egypt Temple Shrine, and a Past Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge in Plant City, Florida. Fishing, horseback riding, playing bridge and tennis were also activities he enjoyed.

He was preceded in death by sisters and brothers, Bernice Allen, Erwin (Bud) Haynsworth, Jack Haynsworth, Raymond Haynsworth, James (Monk) Haynsworth, Rachel Parker and Anna Frances Johns.

He will be greatly missed by his wife Carolyn, his two daughters, Jackie Haynsworth Wilson of Cochran, Georgia, and Janice Haynsworth Roberts of Dublin, Georgia; granddaughters, Gretchen Wilson-Tuck and her husband, Jeff, and Pam Roberts of Cochran, Georgia; grandsons Todd Wilson of Cochran, Georgia, Webb Roberts and his wife Jennie of Atlanta, Georgia; great granddaughters Britton Tuck and Bailey Tuck of Milledgeville, Georgia, Regan Urquhart and Jada Wilson of Cochran, Georgia and Isabel Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia;and his sister Ruth Hammerberg of Thonotosassa, Florida; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and friends.

The family would like to express its deepest appreciation to all his loving caregivers, especially Grace Williams, Sonya Massey, Gifty Ashong, Patricia Fonabei and Kayla Pierson; Dr. Charles Tullis; the Palliative Unit of Lakeland Regional Hospital and Cornerstone Hospice.

The family may be contacted at 5305 Haynsworth Drive, Plant City, Florida 33567.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 303 N. Evers Street, Plant City, Florida 33563; First United Methodist Children’s Home, P. O. Box 6299, Deltona, Florida 32728; Cornerstone Hospice Foundation, 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, Florida 32778 or the charity of their choice.

Services will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Plant City at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, 2011. The family will greet friends in the church sanctuary following the service. Interment will follow at Hopewell Cemetery.

Arrangements under the direction of Wells Memorial Funeral Home, Plant City, FL.