John Stetson Platt

Johnny grew up in Melbourne and West Melbourne, graduating from Melbourne High School in 1950 and marrying Bennie Lee Whaley from St. Cloud on May 22nd, 1954. He opened Platt’s Market, Platt’s Feed Store, and Western Corral “The Store with the Horse out Front” on U.S. 192 in West Melbourne, while expanding J & S Cattle at the old WW Ranch lease in Sebastian until he bought Peace Valley Ranch, Zolfo Springs, in 1991, where he lived a Cattleman’s life until passing.
He was a member of New Hope Baptist Church of Wauchula.

Active in business and the cattle industry, he served on the board of the First National Bank of West Melbourne and was a Charter Member of The Trail riders’ Club in West Melbourne. A member of the Silver Spurs Riding Club, he was honored as Coca-Cola Cowboy in 2008. Additionally, he served as President of the Florida High School Rodeo Association in 1976. He served as a President of the Hardee County Cattlemen’s Association, in addition to being a long-time member of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association in Brevard, Indian River and Hardee Counties. In 2004, he was inducted into the Florida Cracker Trail Association Hall of Fame.

He was a man of hard work and good luck! Where some men only have one good horse in their lives, he had three - High Plains, Pat and Solomon! His luck held at the Blackjack table, too, where he was known to pull all-nighters at the tables in Las Vegas and came out ahead more often than not! In both his business and personal life, he always remembered a person’s name and phone number.

As a lifetime, avid hunter, he took those skills to the Czech Republic and Argentina along with many ventures into Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Nevada and Texas. On a memorable vacation with Sherri to the Czech Republic, he was quite the celebrity since “Dallas” was a hit TV series, the Czech’s actually thought he was J.R. Ewing!

Johnny loved life itself. He believed in being an old-fashioned family man, who played with his kids when he got home from work and always had a smile for his grandkids when they came along - saddling and hauling horses to quadrilles and filling in for Shane to take Jenna to her father-daughter dance. His family knew they were loved.

He loved people, especially family and friends, and he always enjoyed a good party or barbeque, usually featuring his peppery swamp cabbage. Everybody loved his grill master skills with the pork loins and smoked turkeys delivered during the Christmas season. He loved to dance and although he wasn’t the easiest to follow, Bennie could always follow his moves. Whether listening or dancing, he loved traditional country and blue grass music. Having been involved in rodeo his entire life, he loved Professional Rodeo, and even though he wasn’t able to get to the shows in the last few years, he watched from his recliner…all the time!

Working cows with Johnny wasn’t just a workday, it was an experience! From sunrise to sunset, piney-woods and palmettos to the cow pens, it was holding the hole, rounding up, catching up, up ahead, mass of people, dogs, horses, four wheelers and UTVs with a hearty lunch break from a home cooked chuckwagon to a big table at the Pioneer. Fun, fellowship and always a good story in the end. Working cows was truly what he loved doing and when he could no longer ride, he supervised as a Polaris cowboy – and did he ever! Just ask Shane, Josh and Jenna and all the cowboys who loved him and showed up to work anyway. He will be remembered by all whose lives were touched by him.

He is survived by his wife Bennie Lee Platt of Zolfo Springs, FL.; his son Shane (Carol) Platt of St. Cloud, FL; his daughter Sherri Otcenasek of Viera, FL.; grandson: Josh Platt of Raleigh, NC; granddaughter: Jenna Platt of Pinedale, WY and brother: Walter "Toby" (Patricia) Platt of Melbourne, FL. and "treasured nieces and nephews" all over the states.


Funeral Services for Johnny will be held 12:00 Noon, Thursday, June 17, 2021 at the Roger C. Thompson Memorial Chapel, Conrad & Thompson Funeral Home with the Pastor Paul Williams, Hardinsburg United Methodist Church in Hardinsburg, Kentucky, Officiating.

Interment to follow at Rose Hill Cemetery, 1615 Old Boggy Creek Road, Kissimmee, Florida 34744.
Active casketbearers will be Doug Miller, Cecil John Anastasio, Beau Anastasio, Toby Anastasio, John B. Platt, Jack Platt, Justin Hartt and Robert Burney. Honorary casketbearers will be: Don Southwell, Ham Brown and Bill Pennington.
Visitation will be one hour prior to service time (11:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon) at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions in memory of John Stetson Platt may be made to:
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Assoc. ATTN: JCCF, 101 Pro Rodeo Drive, Colorado Springs, CO  80919https://www.justincowboycrisisfund.org/ Email: jccfinfo@prorodeo.com
To provide need-based financial assistance to athletes injured through their participation in professional rodeo. 100% of all proceeds go to eligible athletes.
The Florida Cattlemen's Foundation, P.O. Box 421929 Kissimmee, FL 34742-1929
407-846-6221https://floridacattlemen.org/foundation/ Email: info@floridacattlemen.org
Or the charity of your choice.


The Platt family is being cared for by CONRAD & THOMPSON FUNERAL HOME, 511 EMMETT STREET, KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA 34741 (407)847-3188
 

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