John Andrew Cornell, 75, died peacefully in his home on July 10, 2016, surrounded by his family. He was born in Westerly Rhode Island, on April 29, 1941 to Leo and Edith Margaret Cornell.

He graduated from Venice High School in 1958 and married the love of his life, Natalie, on June 22, 1963. He received his Bachelor and Master Degrees from the University of Florida and his PhD from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1969. He and Natalie came back to Gainesville where he joined the faculty in the Department of Statistics. He remained at the University his entire career where he retired after 35 years as a full professor.

During his career, he was a fellow of the American Statistical Association and a fellow of the American Society of Quality Control. He also served as the editor of the Journal of Quality Technology from 1989 to 1991. Over the years he earned many accolades that included, the W.J. Youden Prize, The Shewhart Medal and the Shewell Award.

He and Natalie and their two sons lived in England for a year while he was on an exchange with a colleague from Birkbeck, University of London. That year abroad was one of the highlights of their life and began a lifetime of family travel.
He was a long-time member of the St. Augustine’s Catholic Student Center. He was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He coached both his sons in baseball at the Boys Club and was active in their lives. He enjoyed playing golf, visiting the beach, and collecting antique corkscrews and toasting forks.

His parents and his only sister, Penny Davis, preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Natalie; children John Cornell, Jr., Ken (Angela) Cornell; grandchildren Connor, Christopher, Jack, and Sam; sister-in-law Lydia; nephew and nieces Skipper, Dixie, and Susie. He will be greatly missed by his family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society , 2119 SW 16th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608, Haven Hospice, 4200 NW 90th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32606, Jimmy V. Foundation for Cancer Research (jimmyv.org).
Services will be held 10:30am on Saturday, July 16, 2016 at Holy Faith Catholic Church in Gainesville. Visitation and evening Vigil Services will be held Friday, July 15, 2016 from 6pm to 7:00pm and 7:00pm to 8:00pm for prayer service at Holy Faith Catholic Church in Gainesville.

Arrangements are under the care of Forest Meadows Funeral Home, Gainesville, FL.