John William Blackmon

John William Rhodes Blackmon, 67, of Tequesta, Florida, passed away September 22, 2022, surrounded by family and longtime friends. The cause of death was cancer. John was an exemplary man, and while his loss brings all who had the opportunity to know him immeasurable grief, there is dancing and joy as heaven welcomes a loyal, humble servant home. Born on January 20, 1955, in Fort Pierce, Florida, John was the third son of Warren L. Blackmon, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and Distinguished Flying Cross Recipient, and Della Rhodes Blackmon. His family moved to Coral Gables shortly after his birth and John attended Coral Gables High School, where he played running back on a city championship football team, before attending the University of Florida, where he earned degrees in Business Administration and Economics. John then attended the prestigious Keenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning an MBA and graduating with high honors, near the top of his class. John leaves behind his wife of 24 years, the former Diane C. Hamilton. John also leaves behind his son Neil Warren Blackmon, 42, of Charlotte, his daughter Leila Marie Hunter, 38, of Lake Mary, FL (Blake Hunter), as well as four grandchildren, Mila Savannah Blackmon (10), Elizabeth Harper Blackmon (7), Maeve Alexandra Hunter (6), and John Gavin Hunter (4). John is also survived by two older brothers, Rev. Andrew Thomas Blackmon of Dallas, Texas, and Daniel Blackmon of Coral Gables, as well as 4 nieces and nephews. John was welcomed to Paradise by his Mom and Dad. Together with his wife Diane, John became a pillar in the community and a leader at his church, First Presbyterian Church of North Palm Beach, where he served as both an usher and a deacon. John was also deeply committed to investing in a variety of local animal shelters and was a strong advocate of the arts in the Palm Beaches. A man of unassailable integrity, John was a force in his chosen field of finance and banking. During a 42-year career, John worked at several venerable American banking institutions, beginning his career at the Bank of New York Mellon in Pittsburgh, then rising to Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase in Atlanta and New York City, working again as a Managing Director at Raymond James Financial in Tampa, and finally, spending nearly 20 years as the Director and Senior Credit Risk Manager at Citibank. When John retired on May 31, 2022, openly dreaming of “spending many years getting to love on his 4 amazing grandchildren,” John was called “a brilliant banker and one of the last honest men on Wall Street” by a Fortune 500 CEO, who also said that “the list of what I learned from JB (as he was known in the banking industry) is 10 pages long, if I used a tiny font.” Most importantly, John was an exemplary husband and father. He was generous, tough in all the necessary ways, compassionate, funny, and wise. He and his daughter Leila had an unbreakable bond for the ages, the type of storybook relationship only dads and daughters can have. He and his son Neil connected deeply over a shared love of history, books, politics, and John’s beloved Florida Gators. John was happiest visiting animal shelters or taking in the splendor of autumn in Vermont with his wife Diane, or sitting with his daughter or son on a fall Saturday in The Swamp. His stories and smile will be missed at tailgates for years to come. One of John’s favorite sayings was “The world doesn’t owe you anything, but you can still get ahead with hard work, treating others with kindness, and never compromising your integrity.” John lived this mantra his entire life and inspired many others to do the same. His legacy is immense and lives on in his friends, children, and grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Monday, September 26, 2022, beginning at 10:30 AM at First Presbyterian Church of North Palm Beach. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in John Blackmon’s name to Desire Street Ministries of Atlanta, Georgia, run by John’s favorite Gator, Danny Wuerffel (https://desirestreet.org/?form=donate) or Furry Friends Adoption of Jupiter, (https://furryfriendsadoption.org/donate/) to help animals find a loving home.

John William Blackmon

January 20, 1955 - September 22, 2022