A good sport.
That phrase would sum up John Pawly in business and in his personal life. The savvy businessman began his career making roller skates with a brother. Mr. Pawly went on to start up, buy or sell four other companies -- producing and selling everything from golf carts and golf accessories to billiards, bowling, and tennis products and boat gear.
"He loved being a businessman. He was created for business," said Maria Pawly, his wife of 49 years. "He loved life and was bigger than life in many ways," she said.
John Gordon Pawly died on Feb. 8 from complications of Parkinson's disease at his home on Lake Lanier. He was 83. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Sandy Springs. Lakeside Funeral Home in Woodstock is handling arrangements.
Mr. Pawly was born in Chicago on Nov. 14, 1928. He joined the Navy at age 17 and was stationed on the Battleship Missouri. After the signing of the peace treaty with Japan, the Missouri served as a peace ship and Mr. Pawley traveled the globe as part of the ship's mission, Mrs. Pawly said. This began his love of being near water.
After leaving the Navy, Mr. Pawly moved to Delavan, Wis., to join his brother, Art Lonze, in a business venture to produce Roll King roller skates.
The brothers then started AJay Industries, a company that produced pull golf carts and golf bags. Mr. Pawly had numerous celebrity endorsers for his products, including Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicholas, according to Mrs. Pawly, who met Mr. Pawly at a sporting goods convention in California.
AJay Industries went on to make and import products related to billiards, bowling and tennis as well. Fuqua Industries bought AJay in 1972, and Mr. Pawly moved to Atlanta to oversee all 41 of Fuqua's sporting goods divisions.
Then he decided he wanted to be an entrepreneur again. In 1979, Mr. Pawly left Fuqua and bought the L.S. Brown Co., which included Georgia Tent and Awning and Boat Gear. He retired in 1993 after selling Georgia Tent to Attwood Industries.
Mrs. Pawly readily ticks off Mr. Pawly's business accomplishments. She gained such intimate knowledge because he encouraged her to come on business trips, especially before they had children.
"He was the kind of husband who let you grow with him," she said.
He loved to travel and loved to try exotic foods, said Mrs. Pawly. Like the time he ate monkey brains in Taiwan. That really grossed out the kids, Mrs. Pawly said.
"He told them if you close your eyes and didn't look at it, it wasn't that bad," she said with a laugh.
"A real fun dad," said daughter Tricia Mueller, who said Mr. Pawly instilled his love of travel in his four children by taking them to such places as Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean and to British Columbia on sailing trips. Their destinations were always near water.
Attorney Oliver ‘Tuffy' Murray and wife, Mary Jane, have been friends with the Pawlys since 1976.
"He was a client who became a good friend," Mr. Murray said. "It was a very deep friendship. He came from nothing and made a success of himself."
"The beauty of John," added Mrs. Murray, "is that he loved to share. He wanted everyone to enjoy what he had."
Mr. Pawly served as a board member of RARE Hospitality for more than a decade. He served as chairman of the Phoenix Society in 1990 and was a longtime member of the Cherokee Country Club in Atlanta.
Additional survivors include daughters, Lisa Pawly Wright of York, S.C., Karen Pawly of Athens; son, Todd Gordon Pawly of Villa Rica, and nine grandchildren.
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