Francis Sherwood Kinney ’38

"FRANCIS KINNEY was a thoroughly decent man of deep religious faith and solid values, who had the discipline to maintain and pass them on. He was a kind and gentle man of unfailing dignity... Through his designs that sail the seas, and in his books that explain their creation, he has left for us a legacy of beauty and clarity of vision, and we shall miss him dearly."

These words, spoken by his son Jeremy at his funeral, best portray our classmate as we knew him. At Princeton, he studied architecture, pulled number seven on the '37 varsity crew, and was a member of Ivy Club. His entire career was spent in naval architecture, from working in a shipyard to becoming a member of the noted firm of Sparkman & Stephens to authorship of what has become a standard textbook in his field and of a history of his firm. His church named him a Knight of Matta.

Frank died Jan. 4, 1993, of complications arising from Alzheimer's disease. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, the former Mary Fowler; sons Christopher and Jeremy; daughters Beatrice (Mrs. Douglas Broadwater) and Anne (Mrs. John Duffy w'63); a sister, Joan (Mrs. Arthur Gengler W. '32); and seven grandchildren.

The Class of 1938