John Calvin Lair ’38

Body

Jack died of pneumonia Aug. 18, 1999, in Cynthiana, Kent.

In 1988, Jack wrote that in his "not quite two years at Princeton, '38 supplied the best obtainable enlightenment." He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Occidental in 1939.

As a WWII merchant mariner, Jack earned a British Navy citation in a rescue of torpedoed British sailors. He sailed worldwide on a Liberty ship.

Jack combined Harvard studies with Oberlin College teaching and Great Lakes ore haulers. He earned a 1955 MIT BS and did aerospace work with TRW. Failing eyesight darkened his last years.

Jack's former wife, Dr. Winifred Scott, died in 1994. The class extends sympathy to his sister, Theodora Lair Hopper, and her family.

The Class of 1938

0 Responses

Join the conversation

Plain text

Full name and Princeton affiliation (if applicable) are required for all published comments. For more information, view our commenting policy. Responses are limited to 500 words for online and 250 words for print consideration.

Paw in print

Image
PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
The Latest Issue

July 2025

On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.