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| Fred Phillip "Phil"
Pettijohn Jr. (1949 - 2010) |
Phil was born in Tallahassee on
June 1, 1949. When he was four years old, the family
moved to Ft. Lauderdale. There he was a talented,
competitive swimmer for the Ft. Lauderdale Swim
Club. In the mid-60's Phil started writing,
soliciting contributors, and reporting news as a
writer/editor for his high school newspaper. His
love for writing surely came from his father Fred
Sr., who originally was a sports editor for The
Tallahassee Democrat.
n 1953 the family moved to Ft.
Lauderdale where Fred Pettijohn Sr. went on to
become managing editor, executive editor, and
general manager for the Ft. Lauderdale News and the
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Phil studied journalism
for several years at the University of Florida and
later obtained his B.A. in Urban Sociology from
Florida International University. He funded his
college education by writing. Phil always had a love
for fast cars and loved nothing more than to go to
the race track with his racing buddies. In December
1972 he was co-founder of Disc Village, Inc., in
Tallahassee, which services included a full high
school education program, vocational training, an
on-site "cottage industry," group, individual,
family, and marital counseling, and job development
and placement. Phil held the position of Director of
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Village until September 1980. In 1980 he and his wife
Becky started Greenspace, a private interior plant
maintenance service in Leon County and Wakulla County,
which continues to this day. From 1985 through 1990 Phil
served as Diabetes Control Program Manager and Health
Services and Facilities Coordinator for the Florida
Dept. of Health and Rehabilitative Services. While in
these positions, he provided HRS liaison to the American
Diabetes Association, the Florida Voluntary Health
Association, and other organizations related to the
needs of patients with diabetes. Later Phil served as
Executive Director of The Diabetes Center at Tallahassee
Memorial Regional Medical Center, a $1 million per year
operation seeing 1,200 new patients per year from over
20 North Florida and South Georgia counties. He was
appointed by the governor to The Diabetes Advisory
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from May, 2000, through July, 2003, and
continued to serve on various commissions and workgroups in
support of diabetic health services in the State of Florida
through the years.
Phil was the son
of Fred and Elaine Pettijohn, who both passed away in
Tallahassee in 2008. He is survived by his wife and best
friend of more than 35 years, Georgette "Becky"; his
loving son George St. Pierre; his brother Mark; his
nephew Fred Clay; his niece Jeanne Marie, and a huge
Greek family that he loved as his own.
Phil meant a lot to many people of
Tallahassee and will be surely missed by family and
friends. We have lost a good one. In lieu of flowers
memorial contributions may be made to your local Hospice
or The Tallahassee Regional Medical Center Foundation
for Pediatric Diabetes.
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