Jay B. Myers
Jay B. Myers, 66, of Holmes Beach, devoted husband, father and grandfather, died Aug. 12 in Collierville, Tennessee, after a monthslong battle with cancer.
He was born Dec. 8, 1956 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When he was 9, he and his six siblings moved to Memphis. He attended Holy Rosary, Christian Brothers High School (where he achieved his Eagle Scout Award) and the University of Memphis, Tennessee.
After college, he worked for Kodak, HP and ATS before starting Interactive Solutions Inc. in 1966. Specializing in audio visual and video conferencing technologies, ISI grew to more than $20 million in annual sales and was recognized by Inc. magazine seven times among the fastest growing private U.S. companies.
Mr. Myers was a lifelong New York Yankees fan who attended several Yankees Fantasy Camps, playing alongside legends such as Tommy John, Homer Bush, Daryl Strawberry and Jeff Nelson — whom he got a hit off of).
Playing off his love of baseball and stories of perseverance, Mr. Myers wrote three books about his experiences in life and business: “Keep Swinging,” “Hitting the Curveballs” and “Rounding Third and Heading for Home,” sharing how he was able to overcome an embezzlement and a partnership buyout while running and growing a successful business.
In 2018, he sold ISI and did public speaking engagements, including a TedX talk in 2021. He also hosted the “Extra Innings” podcast for three seasons.
He was an avid athletics supporter at the University of Memphis in Tennessee, including basketball, football and baseball, where the “Jay and Maureen Myers Hitting Room” honors his family’s contributions.
Mr. Myers also served as an executive in residence at the University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business and Economics, speaking frequently to classes of undergraduate and MBA students.
He was inducted into the Christian Brothers High School Hall of Fame in 2011 and into the Society of Entrepreneurs in 2018. He was the first recipient of the Kemmons Wilson Emerging Business Award. He was active in numerous community organizations in the Memphis area, including the Chickasaw Council of the Boy Scouts, where he received the Silver Beaver Award for adult leaders and the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, where he was on the board for 20 years. He was a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs through the SCORE program.
Over the years, he never missed a campout, swim meet, school play, awards ceremony, anniversary, birthday or family trip — no matter how busy.
He loved his home in Holmes Beach, where he was a member of the Key Royale Club. He and wife Maureen often could be found enjoying a glass of chardonnay on their dock or on the rooftop at the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach.
A celebration of life was held Aug. 19 in Collierville. Memorial donations may be made to CBHS, Church Health and Page Robbins.
He is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Maureen; son Jordan and wife Alexis; daughter Katie and husband Kevin Quinn; granddaughter Ariana Myers; brother Chris; sister Diane Edwards; his faithful dog, Walker; and a far-reaching community of family and friends.
Ernie Schneevogl
Ernie Schneevogl, 88, of Holmes Beach, died April 12.
He was a full-time resident since 1998 but the island didn’t slow him down — his speed and tenacity never waned.
He was born in Connecticut and raised in New Jersey and was a great baseball player. He began working at a young age at the Monmouth racetrack paddock. He joined the U.S. Army and served abroad in Korea.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Saint Anselm College in 1958.
He had two careers after college. The first was working in the insurance business as a senior underwriter for IRM, which took him to New York City, Chicago and finally Charlotte, North Carolina.
The second was working as a loyal Publix employee for 25 years. His intense passion for work was incredible and only his passing was able to break his dedication to Publix — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
He enjoyed working in the yard, drum-and-bugle corps music, aviation and keeping up with the local fishing community over breakfast at Peach’s on the island.
He was known to support the communities in which he worked and lived.
A celebration of life was held recently. To continue his legacy, he would be pleased to have people lend a helping hand to a neighbor on the island. Donations may be made to the Center of Anna Maria Island or carolinacrown.org.
Mr. Schneevogl is survived by daughter Lilly and son-in-law Ralph Butcher; grandson Alex and wife Amber and their children, Jackson and Aveline. He also will be missed and forever in the hearts of the Eurice and Garcia families.
John Mark Watkins
John Mark Watkins, 64, of Bradenton Beach, died July 23 after a short but courageous battle with cancer.
He was born Oct. 5, 1958, in Portland, Oregon, to Paul and Betty Watkins.
After graduating high school, he attended college and majored in psychology, which suited him and his ability to get along with people.
He spent much of his professional life in construction. He had great creative vision and could make virtually anything. He also could repair most everything with a little ingenuity and available tools. His charisma and work ethic made him an asset to any project.
His employees looked forward to working with him. Once he started a project, he wanted the project be the best and it always was.
He was gentle and nurturing, as demonstrated by his love of all animals, particularly dogs — and they loved him. Happy was a favorite labradoodle. He delivered her seven healthy puppies in the middle of Hurricane Ian and took care of all of them, including Papa Wags, with no electricity.
He never met a stranger and kept friends close to his heart. He would go out of his way to make sure people felt included. To know him was to love him.
Memorial gifts may be made to Manatee County Animal Welfare or the American Cancer Society.
Mr. Watkins is survived by his parents, Paul and Betty; brothers Paul Wayne, James and Michael; their spouses; several nieces; and Shelley Wheeler, his longtime business partner and best friend.