He was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., and attended Phillips Exeter Academy before coming to Princeton, where he joined Cottage Club, majored in history, and wrote his thesis on the Aaron Burr Conspiracy. He served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1953 to 1955 and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1958.
John then joined the New York law firm of Breed Abbott & Morgan in 1958. He was a partner for more than 20 years before leaving the firm to pursue other opportunities and interests. John served on the board of directors of Champion Products, Overseas National Airways, and Pan Ocean Oil; he volunteered on community service boards; and he was a trustee of multiple educational institutions.
However, John’s greatest point of pride was his work for and with the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, where he was a founding trustee in 1970 and served as chair of the investment committee until his retirement in 2005. John was a dedicated parishioner of Trinity-St. John’s Church in Hewlett, N.Y., and a long-standing member of the Rockaway Hunting Club in Lawrence, N.Y., the Lawrence Beach Club, and the Cedarhurst Yacht Club.
John is survived by his wife of 66 years, Patricia; his daughter Deborah Maine ’83; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. John’s son, John M. III ’79, predeceased him.