Frederick Benjamin MacKinnon ’41

Ben died on Sanibel Island, Fla., Apr. 20, 2003, after a long siege with lymphatic cancer. Coming to Princeton from New Trier High School, he played freshman football, majored in engineering, and roomed with Bill Stebbins.

After sophomore year, he transferred to the U. of Chicago, graduating in March 1942 with an engineering degree. Immediately enlisting in the Navy, Ben was commissioned from the Prairie State in October 1942. After a year there as an instructor, he became an engineering officer on a destroyer serving in the Aleutians, Kuriles, Okinawa, and Japan. He left as a lieutenant in 1945.

Ben graduated from Harvard Law School in 1948, returning a year later as a teaching fellow and research fellow until called to serve in the Korean War in 1951. He retired as a lieutenant commander in 1953. From then on, most of his career was spent as a research attorney with the American Bar Association until retirement.

Ben moved to Sanibel Island in 1979 and summered in Southwest Harbor, Maine, enabling him to continue his lifelong love of sailing, especially ocean racing. He was active in community affairs and also became a sculptor.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Marcia Taber MacKinnon; two sons, Duncan and John; his daughter, Marcy; and three grandchildren.

The Class of 1941