Friends and family remember John Andrew Tucker III, ex-president of Florida Publishing Company, as a “good man” and civic leader whose passion and drive for golf helped bring the PGA Tour back to Jacksonville.
Tucker, 93, of Jacksonville (Florida), died peacefully December 30, 2022 in hospice care. His son-in-law Rufus Dowell told the Florida Times-Union.
Tucker was the general manager and president of Florida Publishing Company. This company included the Times-Union Jacksonville Journal, St. Augustine Record, 1964 to 1983 when Tucker was appointed general manager and then president of Florida Publishing Company, which included the Times-Union, Jacksonville Journal, and St.
He was an avid golfer and championed the game. Many believe Tucker’s legacy is tied to the PGA Tour, particularly TPC Sawgrass and other local golf clubs.
“John was like my second dad.” Dowell said that he was a good man, first and foremost.” Dowell noted that compassion for others was the most important virtue of his father-in law.
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He was very kind and caring. Dowell said that Tucker reached out to many people in Jacksonville who were struggling with addiction. Tucker didn’t seek the spotlight for his efforts to help others.
He was deeply religious and tried to help others all his life. He would do anything for his family and his community. He was generous with his time, and very spiritual. Dowell stated that God allowed him to live until 93 because of his good works.
Golf, a lifetime passion
He was born in Fort Pierce, Florida and served in the Army Air Corps during Korea War, 1951-1953. After being discharged by the Army, Tucker enrolled at the University of Florida and graduated in 1956. According to his obituary, Tucker also earned a master’s in counseling at the University of North Florida.
His obituary said that he was a Southern Bell Company district manager for many years before moving to Florida Publishing Company.
Tucker was a golfer after his wife Eugenia, their seven kids, and their 23 grandchildren.
Tucker’s last round of golf was September with John Tucker IV, his oldest son.
Dowell stated, “He played nine holes and shot 39. This is very good.”
Dowell stated that Tucker was the catalyst of the Greater Jacksonville Open (GJO), and The Player’s Championship.
Deane Beman was inspired by the success of the GJO, which was launched in 1965, to bring Ponte Vedra Beach’s Players Championship and PGA Tour headquarters.
Tucker was then appointed the first executive director for The Players.
He was the founding father of good golf in Jacksonville,” Duke Butler III, a long-time friend and former PGA Tour player, said to the Times Union.
Butler stated that Tucker’s love for golf stemmed from humble beginnings. He had caddied at the Ponte Vedra Club while he lived in Fort Pierce, something he had heard of since his youth.
Tucker, 18 years old, dressed in his best golfing attire, carried his clubs on his shoulders, and hitchhiked to Gainesville with 85 cents.
He arrived at the golf shop around 10:15 a.m. and asked to play the course as he had heard great things about it. An assistant pro kicked Tucker out because he wasn’t a member. Tucker stood under a shade tree and continued to walk outside, undeterred.
After hearing the conversation in the pro shop and noticing it, the head pro went out to tell him that he could play in the afternoon if he just stayed there and didn’t bother anyone.
“At 1:30 p.m., the pro took him out to play on the Ponte Vedra Club Ocean Course. He played until 5:30 p.m.” Butler said, adding that Tucker was given a ride by the pro to U.S. 1. Tucker was then taken back to Gainesville.
Tucker, 33 years old, was working at Southern Bell when his chairman invited him to join him at the Ponte Verde Club. Tucker and the chairman were able to play the course together and defeat two of his friends.
Butler stated that Tucker was granted his long-held wish to join the Ponte Vedra Club as a reward for this win.
Tucker’s affable persistence, salesmanship and charm ultimately allowed him to convince Beman to move The Players and the PGA Tour to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1975.
“The Jacksonville Open would not have happened if it weren’t for John Tucker, and a few other people in the town. We wouldn’t have invited the TPC to Jacksonville if it wasn’t for the Jacksonville Open. “They had a well-organized tournament organization and did a good job for the community, and that’s what attracted us,” Beman stated.
Beman stated that if the Players had not come to Jacksonville, it is unlikely that Mayo Clinic Jacksonville or other major businesses would have done so.
Tucker was awarded the Deane Beman award in 2020. This award, which was established in 2015 to honor individuals who have made a significant and lasting impact on local golf, was presented to Tucker. Tucker was honored for his contributions to the GJO and as its first general chair.
Florida Times-Union reporter Garry Smits contributed.
