John Rea ’46

If you read the Old Testament of the New American Standard Bible published in 1971, you are reading the work of John Rea, who was one of its translators. John was managing editor and prepared the Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975).

A specialist in Old Testament and biblical archaeology, John served as a surveyor at excavations at Dothan in Palestine in 1953. During his career, he wrote comments on the Book of Joshua for the Wycliffe Bible Commentary, built and managed a Christian bookstore, and owned and operated a retreat center in Wisconsin’s north woods. He retired as a professor at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va.

John’s grandfather was Cleveland H. Dodge 1879, a lifelong friend and backer of Woodrow Wilson 1879. His mother’s twin brothers were Cleveland and Bayard Dodge 1909, while his father, James, was a 1904 graduate, and his four brothers were William ’34, Cleveland ’36, James ’39, and Bayard ’51. When John married Elaine Johnson in 1949, he gained three brothers-in-law who were alumni.

John’s death on Nov. 13, 2012, left his wife and daughters Elizabeth Ann, Linda Joy, Ruth Elaine, and Mary Angelyn.   Our sympathy goes out to this Princeton family.