 1927 - 2020 (92 years)
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| Name |
Harold Sylvester O'Steen [1] |
| Birth |
26 Nov 1927 |
Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, USA  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
7 Oct 2020 |
Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, USA |
- Harold Sylvester O'Steen was born in Jacksonville on November 26, 1927, the son of Robert M. and Anna Belle M. O'Steen, the identical twin brother of Howard. He spent 92 years on this earth and in our company. He squeezed so much out of life that his passing on October 7, 2020, brings equal measures of sadness in death and celebration for the life he lived.
As a youth, he was a Boy Scout and attended Robert E. Lee High School before graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. He also attended Naval Officer Candidate School. Harold was 14 when he met the love of his life, Ruby Guynn. They became television stars, if only briefly, when they were married in 1951 on the CBS show, "Bride and Groom" in New York City.
Harold with his twin brother Howard opened O'Steen's Pharmacy, and they built up the business to 12 stores. They sold nine of them to Eckerd Drugs, and then showed more business acumen by moving into the automobile business by investing in Coggin Pontiac, and soon creating the Coggin-O'Steen Automotive Group. After divesting interest, they established O'Steen Automotive Group, with the O'Steen Volvo and Volkswagen dealerships that have become a major presence in the Jacksonville area.
The first Masters Tournament that Harold and Howard attended was in 1957, and it was there they met the original owner of Western Sizzlin' steakhouses. They developed a chain of 14 stores in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Not only were they identical twins but lifelong business partners in operations that showed their diverse interests driven by intellect and acumen.
Their partnerships included the record business with Mae Boren Axton, who co-wrote, "Heartbreak Hotel," the song that made Elvis Presley an international star; Landcom Inc. that developed hotels, shopping center and multi-family properties. They believed in their partners more than business models.
It was not all about work. Harold had an active lifestyle of the outdoors. He loved water skiing, snow skiing, playing golf and tennis. And he never forgot the value of community, serving as chairman of the Duval Pharmacy Association, president of the Florida Pharmacy Association and a board member of the American Pharmacy Association. He was commodore of the Florida Yacht Club in 1999. Harold also was chairman of the University Hospital board and played an integral part of the merger of University Medical Center/Methodist Hospital with Shands Hospital of the University of Florida. He served on the board of the hospital for 30 years.
Strong in his Christian faith, Harold was a member for 50 years at University Baptist Church, and he was most recently a member of the First Baptist Church of Fernandina Beach.
The real legacy of Harold is family. He was preceded in death by his sister Madolyn Dinsbeer (Jack), brothers Bob O'Steen (Sylvia), Benny Joe O'Steen and sister-in-law Grace O'Steen.
He is survived by Grace's husband and his beloved twin brother Howard; by his daughter, Pamela O'Steen Simmons (Steve); sons Harold Sylvester O'Steen, Jr., (Susan), and Mark Howard O'Steen (Lisa).
He had five grandchildren: Andrea Simmons Rowland; Ashley Simmons McCrary (Mac); Whitney O'Steen Loehr (Gerald); Mark Howard O'Steen Jr., (Megan); and Cody Pierce O'Steen (Erin). His great grandchildren are Ashlyn Rowland Miller (Shawn); Annabelle Miller Rowland; Collins Lee O'Steen; Mason Caroline McCrary; John William McCrary; Georgia Gray Loehr. He also leaves behind a great, great grandson, Liam Michael Miller.
Serving as pallbearers are Mark "Chip" O'Steen, Jr.; Cody O'Steen; Roger O'Steen; Mac McCrary; John William McCrary; Trey O'Steen; Gerald Loehr; Richard O'Steen; Thomas O'Steen; and Lockwood Holmes.
Honorary pallbearers are William Bryan; Thomas Braddock; Lee Lyman; Roy Thomas; Dr. Michael Cotton; Dr. Gerald Scheibler; Fred Wingate; Greg Toole; Ander Crenshaw; and Ray Lowe.
We would be remiss not to extend deep gratitude to the UF Health doctors: Linda Edwards, Theodore Bass and Lara Zuberi; Yvette Brown-Bell RN, and Sam Smith PCA; caregivers Velecia Bellamy, Regenia Ogbogu, Cassandra Leveritt, Sheila Newby and Community Hospice and Palliative Care.
Visitation will be Sunday, October 11, 2020 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Legacy Lodge, 4801 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, Florida.
A private burial will be held in Oaklawn Cemetery on Monday, October 12, 2020.
In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the following: UF Health General Fund, c/o Karen Babcock, 653 W 8th Street Jacksonville FL 32209; First Baptist Church of Fernandina Building Fund 1600 8th Street, Fernandina Beach FL 32034.
Arrangements by Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Chapel, 4801 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville 904-737-7171. Please sign the guestbook at www.hardagegiddensoaklawnchapel.com.
Published by Florida Times-Union from Oct. 9 to Oct. 11, 2020.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/timesunion/name/harold-o-steen-obituary?id=7855760
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| Burial |
Oaklawn Cemetery, Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, USA |
| Person ID |
I47594 |
tng Genealogy |
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| Event Map |
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 | Birth - 26 Nov 1927 - Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, USA |
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| Death - 7 Oct 2020 - Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, USA |
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| Sources |
- [S711] Ancestry.com, New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2017;), New York City Municipal Archives; New York, New York; Borough: Manhattan; Volume Number: 45.
Record for Harold S O'Steen
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=61406&h=487708&indiv=try
Name Harold S O'Steen
Gender Male
Marriage License Date 28 Nov 1951
Marriage License Place Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Spouse Ruby Guynn
License Number 31285
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