John J. Braithwaite Sr., expert salesman and longtime business executive, has died at 92
He was personable and clever, and adept at connecting what customers needed with what he could provide.
John J. Braithwaite Sr., 92, of Rosemont, expert salesman, longtime business executive, veteran, and Lower Merion High School Football Hall of Famer, died Wednesday, May 28, of age-associated ailments at his home.
Mr. Braithwaite was a natural salesman, a lifelong humorist, and an astute businessman. He was personable and clever, and adept at corporate acquisitions and connecting what customers needed with what he could provide.
He started his career as sales manager of the packaging division at the Downingtown Paper Co. in 1959 and helped triple its business. From 1968 to 1992, as vice president of sales and marketing at Paco Pharmaceutical Services Inc. in Lakewood, N.J., he helped grow the firm from a $3 million operation and one plant to a $68 million enterprise with seven plants.
He repeated that success as president of Accupac Inc. in Harleysville, Montgomery County, from 1992 to 2000 and then founded his own consulting firm, PharmaSource Inc., to facilitate acquisitions and improvements for other entrepreneurs. He never really retired.
“Persistence was his sales technique,” said his son John Jr. “He always said, ‘Don’t take no for an answer.’”
He was also president of the Philadelphia Drug Exchange trade association, a corporate director for several laboratories, and a member of the dean’s advisory board for the Schools of Pharmacy at the University of the Sciences, now part of St. Joseph’s University, and Temple University.
At Lower Merion, he was a two-way lineman and all-star cocaptain on the 1950 9-0 football team. He was honored as one of the area’s top high school players by the Maxwell Football Club and later inducted into the Lower Merion Football Hall of Fame. He was also a national high school rowing champion.
In an online tribute, a friend called him “one of the nicest people you would meet” and said: “He had a wonderful way about him.” His family said: “He will be joyfully remembered by the many whose lives he touched with his strength, humor, wisdom, and unshakable love.”
John Braithwaite was born Nov. 8, 1932, in Bridgeport, Conn. His family moved to Penn Wynne when he was young, and he assumed James as his middle name at his Catholic Church confirmation.
He declined dozens of football scholarships to attend the University of Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He enrolled in the Navy’s Aviation Officer Candidate School after college, was commissioned as an ensign in 1956, rose to lieutenant junior grade, and flew patrols over the North Atlantic and Caribbean for several years.
He met Sally Daley in Penn Wynne, and they married in 1956 and had daughters Barbara and Angie, and sons John, Tony, and Hugh. They lived in King of Prussia, Bala Cynwyd, and Rosemont. His wife and son Hugh died earlier.
Mr. Braithwaite was enthralled by the theater and took his family to shows in New York and Philadelphia often. He worked as a young usher at the old Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut and later played the narrator at the Act II Playhouse in Ambler in a production that was written by and starred his son Tony.
He was an avid reader, loved dogs, and had Eagles season tickets for years. He enjoyed telling jokes, especially in stressful situations, and told everyone often: “Laugh every day.”
His son John Jr. said: “He loved to see others be happy and to have fun.”
He and his wife hosted memorable parties at which everyone would sing, dance, and put on headgear from his extensive collection. “John was a star,” a friend said in a tribute. “Stories with John involved are legend. Who could forget the parties with the hats?”
He had his own table at the old General Wayne Inn in Merion and Busch’s Seafood in Sea Isle City, and his family said: “You never picked up the check when dining with John Braithwaite.” He shared sensible guidelines for practically every situation, such as never be late and always introduce yourself, and generally always said what he thought in as few words as possible.
His family said he left “a legacy of achievement, laughter, and love.” His son Tony said: “He was my best friend, my mentor, my rock, my role model, my confidant.”
In addition to his children, Mr. Braithwaite is survived by 14 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, a brother, and other relatives. A brother and a sister died earlier.
Services were held on June 6.
Donations in his name may be made to the Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Pike, Ambler, Pa. 19002.