John Osborne Fulenwider III

1945 - 2021

CHARLOTTE – John Osborne Fulenwider, III, who used the name Jon Osborne professionally died on July 18, 2021. He was born August 23, 1945, in Charlotte and grew up in Pageland. He was predeceased by his parents, Dr. John Osborne Fulenwider, Jr. and Catherine McNally Fulenwider.
During the 1960s, Jon was educated at Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In those same eight years, he was active in producing and staging beauty pageants - from Miss Tiger to Miss Pageland to the Pageland Watermelon Festival Queen. From this humble beginning, he ultimately became a successful and widely-known producer/director for The Miss World Pageant in London, U.K. He moved to London after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill and for the next two decades he worked for Miss World/Mecca Promotions and other London venues, staging dance contests and various events.
His parents gave him a trip to Europe after graduation on the RMS Queen Elizabeth II and he fell in love with London. He came back to the States and obtained his work permit, then returned to London and there he remained. During his career in London, he met many dignitaries, royals and celebrities. He was even invited to Buckingham Palace to be awarded a plaque from Amnesty International by Lord Mountbatten.
He returned to the U.S. in 1991 and began another 20-year career in the hospitality industry working for various Charlotte hotels, the last one being the Doubletree Hilton at SouthPark. He served in many capacities at the Doubletree; his most successful turn was as wedding coordinator, staging scores of wedding extravaganzas for delighted couples. He was also the sales and marketing manager.
He is survived by his sister, C. Lindsay Fulenwider Gibson (Roger) of Chapel Hill, N.C., and by his many beloved friends in the U.S. and the U.K.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Cure Crohn's Colitis at http://curechrohnscolitis.org or Crohn's and Colitis Foundation at https://chrohnscolitisfoundation.org.
Funeral arrangements are being handled for the family by Robertson Funeral and Cremation Service in Charlotte.