Skeeter Johnston died on April 6 in Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, Florida. His death resulted from head injuries sustained during a polo match on April 4 at his Everglades Polo Facility in Wellington, Florida, when his horse fell with him during play. This game was preparation for his team’s participation in the 2007 United States Open Polo Tournament at the International Polo Club in Wellington.

The family’s homes are in Palm Beach, Florida and Big Horn, Wyoming.

He is survived by his wife, Leslie Buttram Johnston and daughter Louisa; Mr. and Mrs. Summerfield K. Johnston Jr; sisters Katherine Johnston Tudor, Lavinia Johnston, Gillian Johnston; brother Robert Johnston and his nieces and nephews.

Skeeter was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on January 8, 1954. He graduated from Bright School grammar school and Baylor School in Chattanooga, and from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

He held many posts during his 27 years in the family’s Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group, Inc. Skeeter served in several management positions including President of the company’s food and restaurant division and of its Australian subsidiary, WinPac Ltd; He was President of the Group’s Coca-Cola Bottling Company Northwest in Minneapolis, Minnesota and of Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Cleveland, Tennessee.

Following the merger of Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group with Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc, in 1991, he held a number of executive positions at CCE including Vice President - Human Resources; Senior Vice President and President of the Eastern North American Group, responsible for bottling operations in the eastern United States; and Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer. He retired from Coca-Cola Enterprises in February 2004, and has served as a member of the board of directors of Coca-Cola Enterprises since 2004. Coca-Cola Enterprises is the largest bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products in the world.

He is also Chairman of the Krystal Company, which operates quick-serve restaurants throughout the southeastern United States; and a member of the Board of Directors of SunTrust Bank of Chattanooga, N.A.; MetalTek International, Inc, a specialty metal casting company; Southern Screens Entertainment LLC, which conducts real estate development and operates multi-screen cinema houses in Argentina; eSkye Solutions, Inc, a distributor of channel management software; and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

The notable attribute of his private life was his devotion to all his family members and his involvement with and commitment to each of them. He loved hunting and fishing, both of which he pursued with professionalism and skill throughout the world. He was an outstanding amateur player and leader in the sport of polo in the United States. He was a Governor-at-large of the United States Polo Association and co-founder of the North American Polo League. He was Captain of his teams that won the $100,000 Gold Cup, a 26 goal tournament, in 1988; the Cartier International Open, in 1982; the USPA Heritage Cup twice; and the 2003 Hall of Fame Cup. His teams were three times runner up in the United States Open Polo Tournament.

We miss you Skeeter...

(Photo by Frederic Roy of The Morning Line)