HARTWELL BENTON CONKLIN
Hartwell Conklin, age 87 of Orlando passed away on July 8, 2015 with his family at his side. He was born May 11, 1928 in Durham, North Carolina to parents Herman Paul and Geneva Conklin. He was the second of five boys. Hartwell attended Durham High School where he took an active part in the school's drama clubs as well as the Duke Players and the Durham Theater Guild.

After graduating from high school he was honored to be cast, in three different rolls in the first year production of the outdoor historical drama "Unto These Hills", in Cherokee, North Carolina.
After proudly serving in the US Army and Ready Reserve he was very grateful to have attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the GI Bill and became very active there. Hartwell majored in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures, served as President of the Freshman Class (1952-53) and was an officer of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, The Carolina Playmakers, The Bell Tower Society and was the Red Cross Camp Show Director only to name a few.
It was in Chapel Hill at UNC where Hartwell met his wife, Sue Angelyn Fryer formerly of Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Upon leaving UNC Hartwell followed his passion for news and current events into a new and uncharted area of Television. In 1954 he was hired by WFMY-TV in Greensboro as a Television Producer, Director and Scenic Designer.
In the late 50's, he moved to Orlando where he was hired by WLOF-TV (later WFTV-Channel 9 ABC affiliate) and as the Sign-On Production Manager and later was offered the same opportunity with WESH-TV (Channel 2-NBC affiliate) .

Subsequently, he joined WDBO-TV (Channel 6- CBS affiliate) as news director and was responsible for merging WDBO-TV and WDBO Radio AM & FM news departments which became the Dept. of Defense emergency station for all of Florida.
One of the highlights of Hartwell's career was being hired by CBS News-New York as a Contract Specialist Newsman/Producer with its Special Events Unit which was formed to cover the NASA space program televised events, as well as, several of the National Political Conventions. It was during that time he worked directly with Walter Cronkite, on an assignment eight years in the making, in producing the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space launches. He often said the pinnacle of his career was covering the launch of Apollo 11, July 16, 1969 from Cape Canaveral with his close friend Walter. This "Man on the Moon" event was tagged "The Story of the Century" and he was honored to be there.

Eventually, he became involved in Public Relations in Orlando. Over a 20 year period Hartwell was Director of PR for Dart Industries which owned the subsidiary Tupperware International; the Director of PR for GAC properties and ultimately was called to form the first Public Relations Department at The Orlando Sentinel and was responsible for founding the Sentinel Charities Fund.
Always active in the Orlando community, Hartwell was a member of numerous civic organizations. He was the founding President of the Greater Orlando Press Club; an Associate Board member of the Florida Symphony; Board member of the Friends of the Library of Orange County; The American Cancer Society; WMFE-PBS; Loch Haven Arts Center; John Young Museum & Planetarium; Central Florida Civic Theater, Maitland Historical Society; Central Florida Humane Society; Tangerine Bowl; Orlando Remembered Historical Society; Opera Gala Guild and was on the Executive Committee of the Golden South Track and Field Meet.

However, his number one love was his decades of work and Presidency of the Central Florida UNC General Alumni Association, now known as The Carolina Club, which has hundreds of members and continued alumni activities.

Hartwell is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Sue FryerConklin; daughter (Sue) Angelyn, Orlando; son Myron "Binky" O'Neal (Michelle Knox); granddaughters Madison Angelyn Conklin, Sophia Claire Conklin and grandson Knox O'Neal Conklin all of Orlando. Brother Joel (Zita Tear) of Durham, North Carolina.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2015 at 1:00pm at Downtown Baptist Church Orlando- 120 East Pine Street Orlando 32801.

Due to Hartwell's great love of the theater, the family is requesting in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The College Park Neighborhood Arts & Theater Center- Land Acquisition Fund- Hartwell Benton Conklin Memorial. Checks are gratefully accepted at CPNArts - 2014 Edgewater Drive Suite 32804 Orlando, Florida 32804. On line donations can be made at www.cpnarts.org/become-a-donor/