John Rutledge Cheshire

John Rutledge Cheshire of Panama City, FL, passed away on Monday, December 12, 2022, at the age of 96. John died peacefully, with his beloved wife Julie, and their children by his side.

John was born in Charleston, SC, on December 15, 1925, to Theophilus Parker Cheshire and Frances Rutledge Cheshire. He attended the Gaud School and graduated from Avon Old Farms in 1942. He received a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Yale University, a Master's in Chemical Engineering at MIT, and a Master's in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. In 1944 he became a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, saw action in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of WWII, and ultimately served as the executive officer of the USS Karin.

After the war, John joined the Dupont company in 1951 and helped develop Teflon, Tyvek, and plastic contact lenses. While working for Dupont, he met and married Julia Shaw Davidson of Washington D.C. and enjoyed a marriage of 66 years. In 1969, they moved to Panama City and started Marifarms, the world's first commercial shrimp farm company. The research and technology that Marifarms developed created a new protein source resulting in a modern day billion-dollar worldwide shrimp industry.  In 1970, he served as Chairman of the Board of Porter-Gaud and was instrumental in expanding it academically, financially, and physically. Along with his accomplishments, he enjoyed life to the fullest as an avid hunter, horseman, and tennis player and all around bon vivant.

He is preceded in death by sisters Frances Cheshire Rhett and Katharine Cheshire Parker Knott. He is survived by his wife, Julia Davidson Cheshire of Panama City, FL, son, John Rutledge Cheshire Jr. and wife Tracey Epler Cheshire of West Hempstead, NY and daughter, Mary Patterson Cheshire of Unionville, PA.

His funeral service and burial will be held at St Philip’s Church, 142 Church Street, Charleston, SC 29401, Friday, March 24th at 2pm. Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Downtown Chapel. 

In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made in John's name to either St Philip's Church (142 Church Street, Charleston, SC 29401) or the Burnett Rhett Fund at Porter Gaud (300 Albemarle Road, Charleston, SC 29407).