Death Claims J. W. Matchett Prominent Citizen Clearwater

Clearwater, July 29…Jacob Wells Matchett, the pioneer druggist of this city, passed away Thursday night. The death occurred at 10:30 at the home of Mrs. H. W. Bachman, on Osceola avenue, where Mr. Matchett resided. The funeral was held this afternoon from the Harris undertaking parlors. Services were held at 3 o’clock by Rev. W. B. Y Wilkie, pastor of the Dunedin Presbyterian church. The body was taken to the Clearwater cemetery, where the Masonic lodge carried out the rituals of the order. Mr. Matchett was a thirty-second degree Mason and Shriner. He was well known throughout south Florida and respected by all. Evan H. Jones, I. F. Nicholson, C. F. Jackson, J. C. Moore, L. Frank and DeLisle Hagadorn were the Masonic pall-bearers.

The deceased was born in Sumter county in 1862. He moved with his father to Dunedin in 1870, living there for a dozen years and moving to Plant City in 1882, afterwards returning to Dunedin in 1885. Attracted to what is now the county seat of Pinellas county, Mr. Matchett came to Clearwater in 1890 and established the first drug store in a little wooden building that J, W. Williamson has since moved to Garden avenue. He was joined in this business by his brother, J. A. Matchett, who will continue it. Mr. Matchett was a bachelor. He is survived by three brothers, W. M. Matchett, a druggist of Plant City, J. E. Matchett of Bartow, and another brother, Horace, who was not able to attend the funeral and a sister, Mrs. W. W. Clark of Mulberry.

Stomach trouble was the immediate cause of death, though it is thought Mr. Matchett never recovered from an automobile accident in Tampa in May last, in which he received severe bruises of the chest. He had been confined to his bed for some days and for the past three weeks to his room. Death had been expected for several days. 

Source: Tampa Tribune: 7-30-1920

Sponge Industry Pioneer Dies…Jacksonville

John M Cocoris, 68, recognized as the organizer of the first sponge diving industry in the United States died yesterday at his home here after a brief illness. A native of Greece, Cocoris first settled in Key West in1889. He moved to Tarpon Springs and started development of one of the largest sponge diving firms in the world.

Source: St Petersburg Times…2 14 1941