Johnson Whitaker Cauthen

Johnson "John" Whitaker Cauthen, 79, of Bokeelia, FL passed away Thursday, March 26, 2026, at his home. He was born in 1946, in Leesburg, FL, and lived most of his life in Florida, a state he truly loved.

John lived a life marked by curiosity, dedication, and a deep appreciation for knowledge, culture, and nature. A true gourmand at heart, he took great pleasure in exploring new cuisines and sharing memorable meals with those he loved. As a voracious reader, he was always eager to learn and engage in thoughtful conversation. He enjoyed photography, was an avid boater, and found lasting peace in horticulture - a passion rooted in his childhood in the Leesburg citrus groves of his family's business.

Even as a young man, John has a passion for entrepreneurship, starting a thriving orange juice delivery service with his cousin. This was not a "lemonade stand" scale affair, at the peak of their enterprise they had a a full-blown operation including a tanker truck.

After graduating from Florida Military Academy in 1966, John answered his country's call when he was drafted into the United States Army in 1967, serving in Vietnam. During his deployment he came to deeply appreciate Vietnamese culture and, of course, cuisine.

Returning home, John began his professional career trying his hand at, among other things, landscape architecture, where he received high praise for his work at Hawthorne, a retirement community south of Leesburg.

John moved to Pine Island, FL in 1976 to open Tropical Nurseries, a wholesale plant business. There he garnered industry accolades and appeared on the cover of Nursery Business magazine for his invention of "TransPlants," an innovative plant growing and transportation system.

In 1983, he co-founded Forestry Resources Inc. with business partner Dexter Bender, pioneering an innovative environmental solution: harvesting Florida's invasive melaleuca trees and turning them into landscape mulch, and in 1985 founded Forestry Resources Ecological, helping restore the state's native ecosystems in the process. What began as an environmental mission grew into one of Southwest Florida's most successful landscape supply companies, eventually operating locations from Naples to Englewood. Forestry Resources Ecological still operates today under the management of his business partner Rick Joyce.

His entrepreneurial spirit extended further still - he later purchased the Crossed Palms Gallery in Bokeelia, a thriving community art space representing more than 120 artists in painting, sculpture, pottery, and jewelry, and envisioned expanding its grounds to include an outdoor sculpture garden.

John's passion for community service was equally evident through his long-standing involvement in local affairs, including his service on the board of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, where he formed lasting friendships and contributed meaningfully to the organization.

He is survived by his companion of 17 years, Gloria Crosby; his son, Johnson Cauthen Jr. and wife Deborah; grandson, Edwin Bradley Cauthen; sister, Nancy Allen and her husband, Jay; and his sister-in-law Karyn Cauthen, niece Sandy Wilburn, and grand-niece Bryanna Wilburn.

John was preceded in death by his parents James Edwin and Hazel Cauthen, and by his brother Robert Cauthen.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that remembrances be made in John's name to the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Winter Estates or the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Tarpon Lodge, 13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia, FL on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Attendees are asked to RSVP at: https://everloved.com/life-of/johnson-cauthen/