Jefferson Award winner Stan England (right) introduces his family to Jim Bohannon, both of Bowling Green, before the 2016 South Central Kentucky Jefferson Awards ceremony Thursday, April 21, 2016, at Mariah's Restaurant. 

Jim Bohannon, founder of the J.B. Distributors company and a longtime local philanthropist, died Sunday at age 96.

Also involved in the J.E. Bohannon Co. tobacco business that his father started, Bohannon served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later played basketball for legendary Western Kentucky University coach Ed Diddle.

Bohannon founded the J.B. Distributors beer distributorship in 1965 and built it into a company that employed about 40 people and distributed Anheuser-Busch and other beer products throughout a multi-county region.

Sold in 2018 to Bardstown’s Smith Brothers Distributing, J.B. Distributors’ success allowed Bohannon to contribute to the southcentral Kentucky community in many ways.

“He was a wonderful guy, one of the icons of Bowling Green,” said Stan England, past director of the Boys and Girls Club of Bowling Green. “He gave tickets to kids to go to WKU games, and he provided Thanksgiving meals for those who needed help.”

England said Bohannon helped with the club’s annual golf tournament and provided resources that helped the club establish a computer lab.

“He was just a great person in our community,” England said.

Bohannon was also a supporter of the HOTEL INC (for Helping Others Through Extending Love In The Name of Christ) nonprofit organization and Christ Episcopal Church.

“He and (Houchens Industries founder) Ervin Houchens were instrumental in founding and supporting the Boys and Girls Club,” recalled Jim Bohannon III, one of Bohannon’s five children. “I was blessed to work with him for more than 50 years. We had a wonderful relationship. I’ll miss him dearly.”

A member of the 1947-48 WKU basketball team that compiled a 28-2 record, Bohannon will be interred Friday.

Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until noon at Christ Episcopal Church, with the funeral to follow. A celebration of Bohannon’s life will be held at the Bowling Green Country Club following the funeral.