Paul "Cotton" Wellington

PAUL Wellington " Cotton" Paul died February 7th after a brief illness. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, June 6, 1914. A graduate of Robert E. Lee High School and Jacksonville Business School, Cotton served in the U.S. Navy during World War II prior to his lifelong career with Foremost Dairies, Inc. where he worked his way up from stock boy to senior vice president. In 1964 he became owner and president of Florida Bindery & Supply, which he built and Expanded until his retirement in 1984. In addition, he served on the boards of Flagship/State/Sun Bank, Norfolk Southern Railroad, and he was past president of the Florida Dairy Products Association. A civic leader throughout his life, Cotton is remembered for his leadership and his active board participation with the Jacksonville Symphony, the River Club, the Childrens Home Society, and Evergreen Cemetery where he served several years as chairman. He also served repeatedly as Jr. and Sr. warden of St. Marks Episcopal Church and was a founder and first chairman of St. Marks Episcopal School. He was an appointed member of the Jacksonville Expressway Authority and of the Florida State Turnpike Authority. In 1948 he headed up the Community Chest drive, and in that same year he received the Chamber of Commerce " Man of the Year" Distinguished Service Award. He was a 52-year member of the Downtown Rotary Club, where he was a board member and recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award. In 1982 he was honored with the Humanitarian Service Award by the National Conference of Christian and Jews. In addition to these public accolades, Cotton will be remembered for his quiet, behind-the-scenes work with prison inmates, homeless people, and others trying to regain their lives from alcoholism. As part of this work, he was a founder and first president of Gateway Services, Inc. and a committed member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Above all, Cotton was the strength and light of his family, and all who knew him were enriched by his lively and ever-present sense of humor and his abiding faith. He was predeceased by his wife Anne Reinhold Paul and survived by daughters Neely Towe and Peggy Bryan; sons-in-law Rolf Towe and J.F. Bryan IV; his five grandchildren, Anne Towe Egan and Christopher Towe, Jeff, Cotton and Josh Bryan; and his five great-grandchildren; all of whom loved him beyond measure. A funeral service will be held at St.Marks Episcopal Church on Monday, February 11th at 11:00 am, with internment at Evergreen Cemetery (gate 5). The family will receive friends at the home of Peggy and J.F. Bryan following the internment. The pallbearers will be Jeff, Cotton, and Josh Bryan, Christopher Towe, George Egan, Jack Myers, Paul Myers, and Brad Berg. Honorary pallbearers will be Jack Adams, Randall Berg, Bob Breen, Clyde Harris, Claude Kelly, Barnum McCarty, Jim Taylor, John Tucker, and Jimmy Wise. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Marks Episcopal Church, 4129 Oxford Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32210 or Stanwich Congregational Church, 237 Taconic Road, Greenwich, CT 06831. Please sign the Guestbook at Jacksonville.com