John Hickland French, Jr.

John Hickland French, Jr. passed away on April 5, 2024. He was born in Gainesville, Georgia on March 16, 1946, to John Hickland French and Sara Twiggs French. In 1950 the family moved to Tallahassee where he graduated from Florida High School in 1963, Florida State University in 1967 with majors in history and government and FSU Law School in 1971. On December 27, 1966, John married his high school sweetheart, Jeana Turner. John’s career began with Legislative Bill Drafting, followed by working for the late Representative Sandy D’Alemberte as Staff Director of the Ethics and Elections committee. It was during this time that John assisted in rewriting the election laws and became the preeminent lawyer for election law in Florida. Upon leaving the Legislature he went into private practice and quickly became a much sought after administrative lawyer and one of the top lobbyists in the State. John served for a number of years as the General Counsel of the Democratic Party of Florida until leaving in the late 90’s; in the 2000’s he registered as a Republican, becoming a sought-after elections lawyer to Republican candidates. Throughout his career, John was a counselor to Presidents, Congressmen, Governors, Legislators, local officials, colleagues and clients and a mentor to many in law and lobbying. A devoted fan of the Seminoles, he served on the Seminole Booster Board for a number of years; was one of a few members to serve twice as President of the Governor’s Club (1987 and 1993); and was active throughout his life with his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha. In 2017 John moved to Thomasville, Georgia ending his working life as a sole practitioner in elections law and catering to his Labrador Retrievers. John was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Marvin Pierce French (1949-2015) and survived by Jeana and numerous friends and colleagues who bid him farewell and Godspeed with a prayer and a toast. Contributions in memory of John may be made to Thomasville Humane Society at thomasvillehumane.org or 180 Big Star Drive, Thomasville, GA 31757 or 229-228-0613. Rocky Bevis of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or bevisfh.com) is assisting the French family with their arrangements.

Tributes

John Hickland French, Jr.

March 16, 1946 - April 5, 2024