The son of Arthur T. and Susan Nazarian Pike, John was born Feb. 13, 1929, in Boston. He graduated from College High School at Montclair State Teachers College and went on to major in physics at Princeton. John roomed with David Downs, was a member of the Wesley Foundation, and played in the band. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude.
In 1958, John earned his Ph.D. in physics and optics at the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester. While writing his thesis, he joined the National Carbon division of Union Carbide. He and Margaretta Horner were married in 1957, and for many years they lived in Pleasantville, N.Y.
John retired from Carbide as a senior scientist in 1985. Thereafter he formed J.J. Pike & Co. Inc. (named after his great-grandfather, the formulator of Fels-Naptha soap) and for 20 years designed and patented optical instrument innovations for industrial automation.
John died March 22, 2014; Marg predeceased him. He is survived by their daughters, Sally K. Pike and Susan H. Pike; four grandsons; and a great-granddaughter.