John T. "Jack" Lupton was the heir to one of the best business contracts ever written.
Friends of Mr. Lupton who gathered at his funeral Tuesday said the Lookout Mountain businessman made the most of his inheritance -- in his business, his philanthropy and his family.
"Chattanooga is a far better place because of Jack Lupton," the Rev. John Talbird said in his homily. Mr. Lupton died Sunday at age 83.
For $1, Mr. Lupton's grandfather and two other Chattanoogans obtained the rights in 1899 to bottle Coca-Cola, then sold only as a fountain drink. Over three generations, the Lupton family bought and sold the Coke bottling rights to build a multibillion-dollar bottling empire that once accounted for 15 percent of all U.S. Coke sales.
In 1986, he sold his JTL bottling empire and netted nearly $1.2 billion.
Although his fortune was derived primarily from Coke bottling ventures farther South and in Western states, Mr. Lupton remained committed to Chattanooga. He vowed to help make Chattanooga "the best midsized city in America" in the 1980s. A decade later, the Tennessee Aquarium he championed had "exceeded our wildest dreams," Mr. Talbird said.
Through the Lyndhurst Foundation and his own family wealth, Mr. Lupton contributed to or helped raise millions for Chattanooga landmarks such as the aquarium, the Honors Course, Baylor School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He helped launch community initiatives such as Chattanooga Venture, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise and the RiverCity Co.
"He loved by doing and he did what he loved," Mr. Talbird said, referring to the Apostle Paul's writing in the Biblical book of James. "Jack was a steward of the gifts that God had given him, and he made the most out of them."
Many of the beneficiaries of Mr. Lupton's contributions packed the Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal, on Lookout Mountain for Mr. Lupton's funeral, which followed a private family burial service earlier in the day.
Forbes magazine said Mr. Lupton was the richest person in Tennessee in the 1990s. A 1994 community survey by The Chattanooga Times rated Mr. Lupton as Chattanooga's most influential person.
A stroke nearly a decade ago limited Mr. Lupton's activities, and he quit attending most public events years ago. But Mr. Talbird said the private Jack Lupton continued to show compassion and service to others, even when he was unable to be mobile late in his life.
SHARE YOUR MEMORIESReaders are invited to send their words and photos of Mr. Lupton and his legacy to webeditor@timesfreepress.com.
Lamar Partridge, president of Valley Capital Corp., who served with Mr. Lupton on the boards of the Tennessee Aquarium and RiverCity Co., said Mr. Lupton used his wealth and influence to reach out and bridge many community divisions.
"He was a fabulous person who believed in bringing our entire community together from all colors, all genders and all affiliations," Mr. Partridge said.
