In Memoriam: NAFA Founding Member John Lovato (1928

In Memoriam: NAFA Founding Member John Lovato (1928 – 2011)

John Lovato, one of the forty-six founding members of NAFA, passed away on Sept. 5, 2011. He was 83. Lovato was a member of The Round Table Group (an early incarnation of what would become NAFA) and a former fleet manager with American Cyanamid, a chemical manufacturing company.

Lovato's long career in the fleet industry started after graduating from Ryder College after serving in the Navy, joining American Cyanamid, where he eventually worked his way up to the position of fleet manager. He later went to Greyhound Rent-A-Car, then to Allstate Vehicles. From there, he went to CIT Service Leasing as the Northeast regional sales executive in the mid-1970s, then Associates Leasing in 1980. Lovato handled sales in the Northeast region for LeasePlan USA in 1986, until his retirement from the company in 1993, working as a contract salesperson until 1995.

Surviving are his six children: Two daughters and sons-in-law - Neva and Randy Hall of Dallas, Texas and Diane and Ken Culbertson of Frisco, Texas; four sons and daughters-in-law: John and Kathy Lovato of Oakridge, N.C., Richard and Maureen Lovato of Lincroft, N.J., David and Amy Lovato of Westfield, N.J. and Stephen and Patty Lovato of Howell, N.J.; 16 grandchildren: Jacqueline, Kimberly, Danielle, Brittany, Michelle, Jennifer, John, Kenny, Ricky, John III, David Austin, Colleen, Stephen, Lauren, Lindsay, and David Heath.

Online tributes can be posted at: www.deliafuneralhome.com. Memorial contributions can be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, 14 Pennsylvania Plaza, Suite 1400, N.Y., NY 10122 (or online at www.OCRF.org) in honor of Lovato’s wife, Ruth.