John S. Speed ’50

John died peacefully in his sleep April 23, 2016, in Louisville, Ky.

He graduated from Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., and served as a seaman in the Navy before entering Princeton. He was a member of Cottage Club and achieved honors in the School of Public and International Affairs.

After working for several years, John entered Harvard Business School in 1953, graduating two years later with an MBA. He returned to his hometown, Louisville, to join the Commonwealth Life Insurance Co., where he rose to executive vice president. He retired in 1988.

John was dedicated to the arts and historical preservation, serving on the boards of the Speed Art Museum, Farmington Historic Plantation, and the Filson Historical Society. He also was on the boards of several local businesses.

John was a devoted family man who leaves behind three daughters, Virginia, Lloyd, and Anne, and six grandchildren who prompted him to become “a soccer junkie.” His sister, Susan, and his grand companion from St. Louis, Julia Barnes, also survive him. His wife, “Stewie,” whom he married in 1951, died in 2003.