Jack Powell Dodd

August 25, 2015

Jack Powell Dodd, 81, died August 25, 2015, at his home in Attapulgus, Decatur County, Georgia.

Jack Dodd was born July 4, 1934 in Orlando, Florida and moved with his young family to Tallahassee, Florida in 1966. He is the only son of P.G. and Vesta Dodd.

Dodd married the former Kay Estes of Oviedo, Florida on October 4, 1958.

He graduated from: Winter Park High School; Orlando Junior College; received his Bachelor of Science from The University of Florida and worked toward his Master’s in Government Administration from Florida State University.

He lived in Goldenrod, Winter Park, Sebring, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, Florida; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Attapulgus, Georgia.

He was preceded in death by his parents P.G and Vesta Dodd, and his oldest son Douglas Jack Dodd.

Jack Dodd’s career included: owning and operating a 500 head dairy farm of registered Guernsey’s; being a citrus farmer; working as a farm loan appraiser for Equitable Life; director of the Dairy Division for the State of Florida; founder and vice chairman of the board at Andrew Jackson Savings and Loan; executive director of the Florida Public Service Commission; officer in the Saudi – Arabian Agriculture Bank; one of the founders of Sun Tele Services that later became MCI Telecom; director emeritus at Sunshine Financial, Inc. and director emeritus at Sunshine Savings Bank; senior vice president of marketing for First America Bank in Tallahassee, Florida; president of Diversified Agricol; real estate broker and investor; Dale Carnegie supervision and management trainer; and marketing administrator for the Florida Division of Forestry.

He was a founding member of Killearn United Methodist Church, past president of the Tallahassee Y.M.C.A., past director of the Florida Polled Hereford Association, past director Winter Park Kiwanis, past board of trustees member for the University of Orlando, brother of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, director for the State Dairyman’s Association, board member for the Tallahassee Housing Authority, past director North Florida Shore Technology, member of 4H, charter member National Cattlemen’s Association, advisor to the Paralyzed Veterans of America/GA. He was a member of Attapulgus United Methodist Church.

Jack directed the writing and publishing of the book “The History of Florida’s Forest” for the Florida Department of Agriculture published in 2007. He raised a Grand Champion Polled Hereford Bull in Florida. Dodd has been recognized as an Outstanding Personality of the South and he was the 1956 Outstanding Young Farmer for Florida. He was a candidate for the Florida Agriculture Hall of Fame and ran for Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Florida in 1990.

Jack Dodd is survived by his wife Kay; children, Desmond Dodd (Dee), David Dodd (Donna) and Dwight Dodd (Beverly).

His grandchildren called him “Big Jack”: Ross Hilaman (Anna), Jackson (Jessica), Daphne, Jesse, Dublin, Wilson, Wyatt, Anna, and Ruby Dodd; great granddaughter Anniston Dodd and great grandson Vann Hilaman; step great-grandchildren Christna Hoffman Kaylee Owens, Hayden and Kaitlin Hoffman.

Visitation services will be held 6 p.m. Monday, August 31 at Bevis Funeral Home, 2710 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee. The funeral service will be 3:30pm at the Attapulgus United Methodist Church in Attapulgus, Georgia, on September 1, 2015. Graveside service to immediately follow at the church cemetery. A reception for family and friends will follow and take place at the home of Jack and Kay Dodd, Taylor’s Crossing, Attapulgus. Rocky Bevis of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the family with their arrangements (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com)

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Gentiva Hospice, 432 E. Shotwell Street,  Bainbridge, Georgia, 39819; or to the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center “for patients with kidney cancer” through the TMH Foundation, 1331 East Sixth Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32303.

The family of Jack Dodd extends many thanks for all the prayers, fellowship and food, expressions of concern for the entire family and long lasting friendships.