John Thawley
April 3, 1950 – October 14, 2018
John Thawley passed away on October 14, 2018, after losing a 10-month battle with cancer. He was a 1967 graduate of Utica High School and a long-time resident of the Detroit metropolitan area.
During the 1970s and 1980s, people living in Birmingham, Michigan, would probably remember his men’s clothing store, “John Thawley Couturier.” The store was located at 160 South Old Woodward Ave., across from the once-popular Midtown Cafe. The Detroit News twice named John “Best Dressed Man in Detroit.”
In 1995, John started a graphics and web design company named “The Creative Communications Group.” In 1996, his company designed and built the first “NFL Detroit Lions” website.
Ultimately, John would be best known for his work as a professional motorsports photographer. His racing images have been featured in print for companies such as Acura, Cadillac, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, and in the pages of Autoweek, USA Today, Sports Car, as well as many others.
John was a long-time resident of Bonita Springs, Florida, and was an active participant in the Village Walk of Bonita Springs Tennis Community.
John’s memorial service was held on January 7, 2019, at the Hope Hospice, located in Bonita Springs, Florida. Family members were joined by an overflow crowd of friends remembering John.
He was predeceased by his father, John Rex Thawley, and mother, Jean Thawley. Sadly we lost his sister, Diane Thawley Crowe, on December 27, 2022.