John Newell III
John Newell III died Feb. 14, 2013, in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was born Dec. 30, 1924, in Cleveland. He graduated from Culver Military Academy in 1942.
As a first lieutenant, he served as a tank platoon leader in the 68th Tank BN, Sixth Armored Division of General Patton’s Third Army in World War II until he was seriously wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and two Battle Stars for heroism in ground combat near Margaret, Belgium, in January 1945.
After spending a year in hospitals, he met and married Mildred Fischer in 1946. They were married 46 years and opened the first Florida Orvis store, DownEast/Rod-Gun, in Winter Park in 1977. They had three children, Jane, Tige and Dan. Mildred died of cancer in 1991.
John began his career in manufacturing at Clevite Corp. in Cleveland, taking classes at Case Western Institute of Technology. He gained experience with manufacturing, new-product development and sales, which led to the formation of Clevite’s Aerospace division, where he served as general manager and was responsible for producing the fuel cell electrode for NASA’s Apollo Mission and Lem Space Capsule, and director of marketing for Clevite’s Automotive Parts Division.
He was a catalyst with excess energy. His ideas led to the Waite Hill Master Plan in the ’60s and the conceived plan for Riverstone in Kirtland, Ohio. He founded the Kirtland Education Foundation. Then on to Florida as a consultant with AIRCOA, in 1973, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club, which included early work on plans for neighboring Isleworth.
He was a land planner, real estate broker, community developer and retail merchant in Winter Park, Fla. He had active associations with the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center, the YMCA and the Tavern Club, and was chairman of Lake County Republican committee and co-chair of Ohio Republican Finance Committee in Cuyahoga and Lake counties.
He loved oysters and good food, boats, fishing and duck shooting.
John was introduced to April, his wife, in Florida at the end of 1992. In 1993, they returned to Culver for John’s 50th reunion, where he connected with his original, undefeated nine-man rowing team, which engaged in seven years of Eastern conference competition, culminating at Henley in England in 2000.
John’s passion for his country led to his helping establish a veteran memorial in downtown Orlando, Fla., at lake Eola Park with a registered congressional dedication in 1999.
John was a member of the Kirtland Country Club, the Tavern Club, Winous Shooting Club and Marsh Conservancy, Winter Park University Club, Choir Investment Club, Terravita Veterans WWII Club, and Military Officers Association of America.
April, his children, grandchildren and April’s children and grandchildren survive him.
