At Princeton John majored in basic engineering. His extracurricular activities included Glee Club and numerous interclub sports. He was a member of Campus Club.
After graduation he enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific as a radar and sonar officer with the rank of lieutenant junior grade aboard a destroyer escort.
In 1950 he graduated from the University of Miami with a second bachelor’s degree, in civil engineering. This set John off on a career in teaching. He earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from Penn State.
He was a professor in the engineering department at the University of Miami for more than 34 years. In this position he taught engineering and how to approach complex problems. In 1982 the University of Miami awarded John its Excellence in Teaching award, and in 1986 its Distinguished Alumni award.
John was a devoted Quaker and for 25 years spent his summers at Quaker camps in Vermont.
He is survived by three children, Alex, Walter, and Nancy. To them the class sends its deepest sympathy.