Biografía
In 1977 he was a founder and driving force in the annual Victoria Classic Boat Festival.
In 2014 he was the President of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia.
Anécdotas
His obituary stated "John had a deep and abiding love of the sea and boats, dating back to his first eight foot Sabot which, at the age of six or seven, he navigated single handed across Haro Strait towards San Juan Island. As a boy, he sailed in Vado, the five metre keelboat that he built with his father. As an adult, he explored the BC coast in his many boats: Far West, a restored 12 metre troller; Gabrielle II, a 48 foot Knut Reimers' yawl; Astrocyte, a 50 foot William Garden circumnavigator sloop; Scaup, a Monk troller cruiser; and Kwasun, a Laurent Giles designed Salar 40 which he transported across North America from Rhode Island before he had it meticulously restored. John had a vast knowledge of maritime heritage and had a profound impact on its preservation in BC; he was described as "a walking, or floating encyclopedia when it comes to classic boats. The man at the helm of the Victoria Classic Boat Festival had a passion for the past." John was one of the founders of the Festival in 1977 and served as chair from 1998 until 2005 and later as judging coordinator, imparting his deep knowledge of classic vessels. John was a driving force of the Festival and had a significant role in its enduring success. John was a staunch supporter of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, serving as a trustee, a board member, and as chair of the board. Through his work there, he was one of the people instrumental in the ongoing restoration of Dorothy, the historically important Gaff cutter, built and launched in Victoria Harbour in 1897. John was at his happiest when he was sailing and exploring the BC coastline. Whether tied up at a dock or anchored, John would always find a boat that he knew the heritage of, and with gin in hand, he would head off to meet and chat with the "captain" of the boat. John's first professional calling was on the TEV Princess Marguerite, which ultimately took him to Northern British Columbia and later as chief engineer at Bapco Paint in Victoria. Most of John's professional life was in real estate where he brought his prodigious knowledge of local history and architecture, his refined and exacting eye, and his great enjoyment of people to the profession."
