John, known to classmates as Jock, died May 11, 2022, at his home in Carlisle, Pa.
Originally from the Philadelphia Main Line, Jock came to Princeton from the Haverford School, along with Jeff Reichel, Walt Smedley, Burt Gay, Rob Johnson, Turk Thacher, and Doug Walters. Jock was captain of the Haverford School baseball team.
Jock withdrew from Princeton during freshman year. After graduating from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., he enrolled in Officer Candidate School at the Navy Air Station in Pensacola, then went on to serve as a flight instructor at Andrews Air Force Base.
In 1973, Jock and his wife, April, moved to the Carlisle area. He worked as a Cumberland County probation officer for several years and served for 23 years as a helicopter pilot with the Army National Guard. He taught for five years at Vision Quest residence for at-risk children, volunteered for Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), and belonged to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Carlisle.
April died in 2020, the year after she and Jock celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Jock is survived by son H. Jefferys, daughter Virginia Tilden, and five grandchildren.
The Class of 1969