Dr. Paul Harrison Everett, Professor Emeritus, University of Florida died on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 after an extended illness.
He was born in Lake City, Florida on November 5, 1927, to Argo H. and Sara Pearl Everett. The family moved to Gainesville in 1935 and he attended public schools, graduating from Gainesville High School in 1945. He attended the University of Florida receiving bachelors and masters degrees in agriculture. He later attended Purdue University where he earned his Ph.D. degree. While a student at the University of Florida he was active in several organizations and was president of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, in 1949. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and Korea. In 1958, he began a 30-year career with the University of Florida working at the Agriculture Research and Education Center (A.R.E.C.) in Immokalee, Florida. Upon his retirement from the University in 1988, he became a consultant with Pacific Tomato Growers in Naples, Florida. Dr. Everett received many awards for his research in vegetable crops and tomato varieties. He was also a member of several scientific and professional societies. In 1997, the Florida State Legislature approved a bill to name the A.R.E.C. the “Dr. Paul H. Everett Building”.
Dr. Everett and his family resided in Fort Myers for nearly 40 years and while there he was an active member in the community as a member of the Bishop Verot High School board and the school’s football team play-by-play announcer, the “Voice of the Vikings”. He also served as the Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 35 and was a life member of the Knights of Columbus. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, and golfer and he loved his family and his country.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, the former Rita Callanan and his six children – Michael Everett of Ft. Myers, Bob, Pat, Ann Everett and Joan Bielak of Atlanta, GA, and Joe Everett of Toronto, Canada – and his eight grandchildren. The family will be eternally grateful to the Haven Hospice team who took such excellent care of him.
A visitation will be held on Monday evening, July 2, 2012, from 5-7 pm at Forest Meadows Funeral Home, 725 NW 23rd Avenue (352-378-2528). A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Holy Faith Catholic Church, 747 NW 43rd St, at 9:30 am on Tuesday, July 3 2012. Burial, with Military Honors, will follow at Forest Meadows Memorial Park Central , 4100 NW 39th Ave. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Dr. Everett to the Haven Hospice, 4200 NW 90th Boulevard, Gainesville, FL 32606.
