John Edwin Stanton, age 85, passed peacefully on Monday, December 22, 2025, in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

Born in Norfolk, Virginia to Edna Lydia Herbst and Paul Frederick Stanton, John was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina where he graduated from Greensboro High School in 1958. He continued his education at Mars Hill University, and later at Wake Forest University.

In 1960, John began his career in broadcasting as a disc jockey at WTOB in Winston-Salem, where the station billed him as, “Honest John Stanton”. He was one of the original “Good Guys” and he later became the station’s Program Director, marking the beginning of a distinguished career in the music industry.

In 1968, John moved to Los Angeles to serve as National Promotion Director for Capitol Music Group.

During his tenure, he helped launch and promote album releases by iconic artists including the Beatles, Helen Reddy, Anne Murray, Glen Campbell, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard. He loved to tell the story of spending an afternoon with studio executives at Capitol Records listening to the original studio recording of “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd ahead of its release in March of 1973. He also cherished visits with George Harrison, who had a habit of dropping by his office to enjoy a glass of wine when he was on-site, knowing that John always kept at least one bottle of Côte du Rhône on hand. Throughout his life, John loved spending time with friends, old and new, over a glass of wine.

In the mid-1970’s, John was transferred to Atlanta to continue his work with Capitol, overseeing east coast distribution and album promotion. While in Atlanta, he volunteered his time at the local PBS affiliate WETV, as emcee and host for several fundraising drives.

John married Cheryl Brown Stanton in 1988, and together they enjoyed traveling and exploring the world, with trips to Hawaii, Greece, Italy, and France. In 2001 they relocated to Amelia Island, allowing him to spend time being “Poppy” to his granddaughters, Brooke and Kendall Kratky. John and Cheryl were happily married for 30 years until her passing in 2018.

In 2019, John met his partner Ruth Watkins, a fellow resident of Amelia Island, for lunch at a bistro while they were both in Paris. He often said that he sat down at that table for lunch with a friend, and by the time he got back up, he knew he was leaving with his partner for the rest of his life.

John embraced a life filled with music, golf, good wine, spirited conversation, and an enthusiasm for watching nearly any sport he could find on television. He was deeply passionate about history, philosophy, and current events, and one of his favorite quotes to sum up his spirituality was simply, “God is the name of the blanket we put over mystery to give it shape.”

Above all, John was known for his humor, warmth, and quick wit. He found genuine joy in making other people laugh. He was a loving partner and husband, a devoted father, grandfather, and loyal friend.

In his final years, John split his time between Paris, France, and Amelia Island, Florida. While in Paris, he enjoyed long walks through the city and along the Seine, exploring museums and strolling through the street markets in his neighborhood. When at home on the island, he enjoyed taking his walks along the Egans Creek Greenway and on the beach.

John was predeceased by his daughter, Page Stanton; his brother, Paul Stanton; and his second wife, Cheryl Stanton.

He is survived by Ruth Watkins, his partner of six years; his daughter, Catherine (Jay) Reid of Charlotte, North Carolina; daughter, Edie Pearson of Beaufort, South Carolina; daughter, Erin (John) Pulice of Fernandina Beach, Florida, and granddaughters Kendall and Brooke Kratky; and his son, William Stanton of Kissimmee, Florida.

A celebration of John’s life for family and friends will be held in late January.

Rather than flowers, his family requests that donations be made in his name to Blood Cancer United, formerly the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, at https://bloodcancerunited.org/.