John “Shelby” Amos II, who co-owned a professional sports team that won two championships for Columbus and established a foundation that supported several community projects, has passed away. He used his wealth as an heir and executive with Aflac.
According to Aflac spokesperson Jon Sullivan, Amos passed away in Columbus on Thursday after a brief illness, as reported by the Ledger-Enquirer. He was seventy-one.
The Columbus Cottonmouths, who competed in the East Coast Hockey League (2001–04) and the Southern Professional Hockey League (2004–17), were co-owned by Amos and his wife Wanda from 2001–17. They advanced to the 2014 SPHL finals after winning the title in 2005 and 2012.
His father, John Beverly Amos, was a key founder of the Fortune 500 supplemental insurer Aflac, which is headquartered in Columbus.
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In 2014, Shelby Amos resigned from the Aflac board to take a paid job as the company’s market director. He had previously worked for Aflac as the state sales coordinator for Alabama and western Florida. 2020 saw his induction into the Aflac Hall of Fame.
Sullivan sent an email saying, “Our hearts and condolences go out to his wife of more than 30 years, Wanda J. Amos, his family, and his large circle of friends.”
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The details of the funeral have not been disclosed. People’s responses to the news of Amos’ passing on the Ledger-Enquirer’s Facebook page demonstrate the good influence he had.
Brian Brantley remarked, “Our town was filled with so much joy from him.”
Kimberly Irvin-McGahee wrote, “Working for Shelby and Wanda for the Cottonmouths Hockey team were some of the greatest times in my life. They have always made us feel like family. Shelby was a great man with a huge heart. He is truly going to be missed by so many. My prayers are with his wonderful wife Wanda during this time.”
