John R. DeYoung, an FMEA past president, the first FMEA 50-Year Award recipient, and the 2015 FMEA Hall of Fame inductee, passed away on October 7, 2025.

​

John was born in Ludington, Mich., in 1927. In 1930, his family moved 16 miles south to Pentwater, where he spent his childhood and graduated from Pentwater High School in 1945. Two weeks after graduation, he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Army of Occupation in Germany until November 1946. Upon discharge from the Army, he returned to Pentwater to continue with his chosen career of commercial fishing on Lake Michigan. During his high school years, John was actively involved in the high school band as a trumpeter.

​

In 1947, he was one of a group of six who created a band to play concerts in the park. This became the Pentwater Civic Band, which has performed weekly park concerts from June through August continuously for the past 78 years. Mr. DeYoung was the band’s musical leader during the summers of 1947 through 1950. During the winter of 1947–48, when he played in a dance band, Mr. DeYoung decided to attend Stetson University to become a school band director/music educator.

​

In January 1952, after earning a BME, Mr. DeYoung accepted the position of band, chorus, and general music teacher at St. Cloud High School for grades 6–12. During the summers of 1954 through 1957, he attended Florida State University, where he earned an MME and graduated in 1957. Mr. DeYoung taught in St. Cloud for more than eight years.

​

During that time, he met and married Jo Stephens, who also was a teacher. They had two sons, and in the summer of 1960, the family moved to Bartow, where Mr. DeYoung became the band director at Bartow High School and Bartow Junior High School, again teaching grades 6–12. An additional band director was hired the following year, and Mr. DeYoung continued as the high school’s band director and assisted with beginning sixth-grade band students until he retired in 1984. From 1976 to 1984, he was conductor of the pit orchestra for the Bartow Performing Arts Council’s musicals.

​

After retiring from Polk County Public Schools, Mr. DeYoung served as the convention manager for FMEA. He also taught band classes at St. Paul’s and St. Joseph’s church schools in Winter Haven, served as the interim band director at Lake Wales High School (1986–87), served as the assistant band director at McLaughlin Middle School in Lake Wales (1996–98) and taught private band instrument lessons in Arcadia, Wauchula, and Bartow for several years. In 1990, he was encouraged by several musicians to start an adult band, and so Mr. and Mrs. DeYoung organized the Bartow Adult Concert Band.

​

The Bartow Adult Concert Band has performed seven concerts each year since 1990. The musicians come from all parts of Polk County. The band rehearses weekly, October through April and in June to prepare for the July 4th concert. All performances are free and attract audiences of 800 to 1,000. On July 24, 2014, the DeYoung's announced they were retiring after 24 years, but the Bartow Adult Concert Band plays on under new leadership.

​

Mr. DeYoung served two terms as a district chairperson and was president of the Florida Bandmasters Association (1980–81). He is a past president of FMEA (1983–85). He was a 2004 inductee into the Florida Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame. In 2013, Mr. DeYoung was the first recipient of the 50-Year Music Education Service Award presented by FMEA.

Mr. DeYoung served as an adjudicator at district events of the Florida Bandmasters Association for 40 years. His other distinctions include: 1976 Bartow Lions Club Outstanding Citizen Award; FBA Award for 35 Years of Distinguished Service (1952–1987); 1994 Spirit of Bartow Award from the Bartow Chamber of Commerce; 1999 Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Bandmaster Award; and 2004 Rotarian of the Year.

​

In 2025, Mr. and Mrs. DeYoung celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary.