Media Contact
McKee Botanical Garden
Vero Beach, FL
mckeegarden.org
772-794-0601 Ext 109

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vero Beach, FL – McKee Botanical Garden, in a fitting tribute during its Centennial Celebration, will honor one of Vero Beach’s earliest pioneers and most dedicated Garden supporters, John J. Schumann Jr.

The Schumann family arrived in Vero Beach in 1926 when John’s father and grandfather chose this small but “booming” Florida town as the place to begin a newspaper. John was born in 1932 shortly after the local paper was established and the same year McKee Jungle Gardens opened to the public. From delivering the Press Journal as a boy to serving as its janitor, sportswriter, and eventually its leader, John devoted more than four decades to transforming a weekly publication into a respected seven-day newspaper. Under his stewardship, it grew into one of the last family-owned daily newspapers in Florida before its sale to E.W. Scripps in 1996. Through his work, John chronicled the history of this community, including the story of McKee itself.

But John’s life was never confined to the newsroom. A lifelong fascination with airplanes and fast cars reflected his energy and enthusiasm for motion, progress, and possibility. After retiring, he and his beloved wife, Kathi, traveled widely and pursued their passion for collecting and racing automobiles.

McKee Botanical Garden became one of John’s greatest civic passions. Shortly after joining McKee’s Board, he recommended that the Garden host a car show, and then promptly took on the responsibility of organizing it. For fifteen years, he chaired the Motor Car Exhibition Committee, building it into McKee’s largest one-day annual event and one of the most anticipated automotive showcases in the region.

His commitment extended far beyond that signature event. John supported McKee’s exhibitions, the Children’s Garden, and the Garden’s endowment. He served on numerous committees, joined McKee’s Legacy Society and, in a gesture of remarkable foresight and generosity, purchased and gifted the Garden’s north parking lot, an enduring contribution that continues to serve every visitor who enters our gates.

Throughout Vero Beach, John and Kathi’s generosity is legend. Cultural institutions across this community bear their names in galleries, walkways, and donor rolls.