Summerfield K. Johnston III

News Obituary Article

Coke Enterprises director dies after polo accident

By SCOTT LEITH

A Coca-Cola Enterprises board member who was part of a renowned Coke family died this week from injuries suffered in a polo accident.

Summerfield K. Johnston III, best known as Skeeter, was badly hurt Wednesday during a mishap at a polo facility in Wellington, Fla., near his home in Palm Beach. He died late Thursday.

Johnston, 53, held many posts during 27 years in the Coke system. He retired from CCE in 2004 as chief strategy and business development officer. He then joined the board of the Atlanta company, which is the world's largest Coke bottler.

Johnston's father, Summerfield K. Johnston Jr., is a former top executive at CCE. The elder Johnston is the second-largest owner of CCE shares, after Coca-Cola itself. Skeeter himself was a big owner, with 2.4 million CCE shares, according to the company's most recent proxy.

"He was a very bright guy. He knew the business very well and was extremely capable, very insightful," CCE Chairman Lowry Kline said Friday.

Johnston was hospitalized after falling with his horse during a practice session with another polo team. According to a statement from the Johnston family, Skeeter suffered head injuries.

He had surgery at a hospital in Delray Beach to treat brain swelling.

Johnston was a major figure in polo circles.

He owned a team called Skeeterville and co-founded the North American Polo League. One of his sisters also sponsored a team.

Palm Beach, where Johnston lived part of the year, is a polo hot spot. The U.S. Open Polo Tournament is going on now. Skeeterville --- originally called the Coca-Cola Team --- was runner-up in the tournament three times.

Jimmy Newman, director of polo operations at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, said serious injuries are rare in the sport. "It was a freak accident," Newman said.

Charles Smith, executive director of the league, said the group will carry on despite the loss of Johnston. "Skeeter was a wonderful, wonderful man," Smith said. "He was extremely bright and energetic and just a person that we all really thought a lot of and looked up to."

The Johnston family has deep ties to Coca-Cola. Skeeter's great-grandfather was an owner of the first Coke bottler, which was formed in Tennessee in 1901.

Skeeter's father eventually became a powerful figure in the bottling world. When Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group merged with the original Coca-Cola Enterprises in 1991, Summerfield Johnston stayed on.

The elder Johnston, who once served as chairman and CEO, stepped down from the company's board in 2004.

While Skeeter never reached the corporate heights of his father, the younger Johnston held many high-level jobs at CCE. Kline said Johnston was "a big contributor" to CCE.

"We're going to really miss Skeeter on our board," Kline said. "He added value to the board of directors in being so knowledgeable about the business."

Johnston was involved with a number of companies, including serving on the board of fast-food chain Krystal. He also was a partner in a polo facility in Big Horn, Wyo., where he maintained a home.

Johnston's many survivors include his wife and daughter.

The Palm Beach Post and the Associated Press contributed to this article.

© 2007 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution