John Todd, 99, died at his John’s Island home on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011.
Todd was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., on July 3, 1912, the oldest of the five children of A.J. and Mary Hodge Todd.
Survivors include his brother Winship (Mary Lou), of Richland, Mich., and a sister, Patricia O’Neil (John), of Sausalito, Calif; three children, Priscilla (Ian) Blair and A. John Todd III (Jane), of Kalamazoo, and Henry W. Todd (Pamela), of Falls Village, Conn.; eight grandchildren; Elizabeth Blair, Sarah Hart and Ian Blair, Jr., A.J, Stephen and Eric Todd, and Henry Todd Jr. and Amelia Middleton; and twelve great- grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his sisters Suzanne (Joel) Shepherd and Mary Jane (John) Howard, both of Kalamazoo.
He moved to Florida permanently from Kalamazoo upon his retirement in 1977 as president of the A.M. Todd Company, the global mint essential oils business established by his grandfather in 1869.
He was known in business for both his integrity and a hearty, infectious laugh.
After finishing at Lake Forest Academy in 1931, Todd was a 1935 graduate of Dartmouth College where he co-founded the Dartmouth Travel Agency to help finance his own travels.
Todd remained active as a Dartmouth fund raiser and continued to attend class reunions in Hanover into his 90’s.
Serving ten years on the Indian River Shores town council, six years as the vice-mayor, he retained a strong interest in the welfare of the community, actively participating in fund- raising for the United Way and serving on the Finance Committee of the First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach.
Over the years he sat on the boards of the First Federal Savings & Loan Association and the Industrial State Bank and later, The First National Bank of Kalamazoo.
In addition to regular business travel to Europe, John and Jane enjoyed their many foreign trips over the years, together and with friends.
Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be directed to the Indian River Memorial Hospital, 1000 36th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960 or to Kalamazoo United Way, Inc., 109 Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007.
An online guestbook may be signed at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.
