John M. Bogert ’68

John died Aug. 22, 2025, doing what he loved with the woman he loved. He and his wife, Lorrie, were about to go crabbing in their boat when John experienced sudden cardiac arrest and died.

John attended Westwood (N.J.) High School, where he was president of the student council and on the track team. At Princeton, he majored in basic engineering and was active in heavyweight crew. He ate at Tower and roomed with Jack Keller, Steve Durant, J.B. Blackburn ’69, and John Poggi his senior year. His father J.M. Bogert was Class of ’31.

Following graduation, John accepted a teaching position in Caracas, Venezuela. Three years later he returned, attending RPI and receiving an M.S. in electrical power engineering. He made his career installing control systems for small hydroelectric plants in the U.S. and around the world.

In his early 20s, John took a class from master craftsman Tage Frid that launched his lifelong passion for woodworking. Upon retiring in 2003, he sailed solo across the Atlantic, then to the Caribbean, and finally to Panama, where he spent six years.

Returning to Shaw Island, Wash., in 2010, John became known for his ability to fix anything and everything, including designing and operating the island’s only desalination plant. The class extends its deepest sympathies to John’s widow, Lorrie; his daughter, Phoebe; and grandchildren Severn, Lewes, Calvert, Cedar, and Robin.