John Shoup Obituary
John Thomas Shoup, 86, died peacefully Sunday, January 18, 2015. A celebration of his life will be held in the future at his beloved Fisheating Creek in South Florida. There, family will gather and his remains will be scattered among the flowers and cypress trees of the old Florida that he loved. John’s many friendships evolved over the years while fishing, camping, canoeing, birding, and archeology digs. He sincerely loved the outdoors. He was a 1946 graduate of Palm Beach High School and a graduate of the University of Florida’s Architectural Program. He was a veteran of the Korean War serving in the US Army stationed in Iceland, where he met his wife of 56 years, Joy Ringo Shoup. John and Joy ventured to Colorado and then settled in South Florida, where he spent the majority of his working career in Boca Raton as a partner with Shoup & McKinley Architectural Firm. From 1960 to 1996, he shared his love of form and function while shaping the many buildings of Boca. He received an award for his design in Parks and Buildings, given to him in 1974 by Mrs. Lyndon Johnson for his unique concepts utilized in the making of Spanish River Park. He served on many boards and committees with the City of Boca Raton, including the Community Appearance Board from 1967-1982 (chair for 10 years). The creation of the CAB “helped create a unique community” on Florida’s southeast coast. Joy and he formed many good friendships in Boca, so it was a surprise when he “retired” and moved to Colorado. Not one to retire from architecture, he continued to help shape the city of Montrose and meet many good friends. One important project that he worked on was obtaining a sizeable grant for the preservation of the First United Methodist Church to establish historical significance. The friendships that they enjoyed in Colorado were lasting and made their retirement years wonderful. John continued to stay active with the local Lion’s Club, the Men’s Coffee “Bored” Club and other local groups. He and Joy were greatly missed when they had to move to North Carolina to be near family for health reasons. He is survived by his son, Ryan and his wife, Kim Shoup of Edgewater, FL; daughter, Laurie and her husband, Ron Pearson of Mooresville, NC; and grandchildren, Jake, Will, Samantha and Savannah. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Wild Animal Sanctuary, located in Keenesburg, CO. (303-536-0118).
