Pensacola’s favorite historian has passed away. John Appleyard died Tuesday at the age of 97 just three months after the passing of his wife of 75 years. He arrived in Pensacola in 1950 after having served in WWII to work for what became Armstrong World Industries. A few years later he and his wife Eleanor founded the John Appleyard Agency a marketing, advertising and public relations firm, where he served as CEO until 1993. John was instrumental in the creation of Veterans Memorial Park, he was former president of the Pensacola Junior College Foundation, the Pensacola Historical Society and the Downtown Rotary Club, as well as serving on numerous boards and foundations.