Olin Mott, a Tampa tire dealer who also became known for his philanthropic work, died on Tuesday, July 2, 2013. He was 92.
Mott moved to Tampa with his wife, Doris, in 1953. He started Olin Mott Tire Co. in 1955, expanding to six stores in the Tampa metropolitan area.
Mott assisted several nonprofits in the area, and also was a member of the Florida State Fair board in the late 1980s. The fair honored him on Heroes Day in January, 2013.
Mott served at Pearl Harbor, where he joined three others in firing a .50-caliber machine gun at Japanese planes on Dec. 7, 1941, until a 500-round box of ammunition from an exploding ammunition truck hit him in the back. (To read about his experience in World War II, check out this Modern Tire Dealer blog from 2010.)
Mott is survived by his wife of 67 years, Doris, and his son, Rick.
For more about Mott's life and death, read this Tampa Tribune article from Tuesday.
