OBITUARIES: Off to Fiddler's Green Stephen H. Johnson (1925-2006) In April , Stephen H ardy Johnson , 8 1, died in his home in upstate N ew York. H e grew up in Hadley, M assachusetts, and attended a r------: ,,,:--,.--,,.,.~ one-room schoolhouse until high school. After a year at the University of New H ampshire, he left school to join the Merchant M arine. In WWII he served in both Europe and the South Paci fi c. In 1947 he sailed as fi rst m ate with his uncle, Capt. Irvi ng Johnson, on his 4th wo rld cruise in the brigantine Yankee, a voyage covered by the National Geographic Society in print and film. After 18 mon ths and 40,000 sea miles, Yankee returned to Gloucester, Massachusetts, in M ay 1949. A year later, Johnson m arried M ary Louise Booth of Larchmont, N Y, whom he had met onboard Yankee. In 1955, the Johnsons settled in Rye, NY, where they lived for 47 years. Steve was the founder and owner of H andy Rent All in North White Plains and also a m ember of the American Rental Association. H e was an active m ember of Rye Presbyterian Church, Scout M as ter of Boy Scout Troop 6 in Rye, and a member of the Rye Rotary. H e is survived by his wife of 56 years, M ary B. Johnson, children Edith W., Barbara C., D avid, and Karl; nine grandchildren; and a brother, Charles McClure Johnso n. Steve Johnson continued his family legacy of dedication to preserving the heritage and skills of the mariner. Among their many affiliations, he and his family have , 路 路 路 路 ' been active and strong supporters of NMHS, the Los Angeles M aritime Institute, Sea Educatio n Association, and Mys tic Seaport Museum.

Donald C. McGraw Jr. (1925-2006) D onald C. M cGraw Jr., recipient of the fi rs t NMHS D avid A. O 'Neil Sheet Anchor Award in 2005 , died in Florida in June. H e was 8 1. His wife, D o ro thea M cGraw, and three sons, D onald III, Robert L. W, and D avid W , and th eir fa milies survive him. The David A. O 'N eil Sheet An chor Award is given to recognize extraordinary leadership in building the strength and outreach of the Society. Using his extensive backgro und with m aritime publications, Mr. M cGraw provided Sea History with advice and support essential to its success . There could h ave bee n n o m o re wo rthy fi rst recipi ent. A ft er servin g in the Navy in WWII , M cG raw earned a degree fro m the Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he studied graphic arts and engineering. H e wo rked fo r McGraw- Hill as a group publisher, heading Standard & Poor's and other publicatio ns. H e was found er and publisher of Nautical Quarterly, the first boating m agazine ever to be awarded a National M agazine Award for design , and owner and president of Soundings, the national boating newspaper. M r. McGraw collected marine art and was an experienced yachtsm an . He owned several yachts, both m otor and sail, including D efiant, a 124-foo t motor yacht, and a number of H ood and Hinckley sailboats. M cGraw was Chairman Emeritus of Mystic Seaport Natio nal Council of Advisors. H e was a member of the New York Yacht Club, the C ruising Club of America, the Ocean Reef C lub, the Little C lub, and the D elray Beach Yacht Club, the latter of which he served as commodo re. H e was a great fri end to the Society and a stro ng supporter of the impo rtant role publications play in preserving our maritim e heritage.

John P. Wort (1928-2006) John P. Wort, 77, of Fort Montgomery, New Yo rk, died in May. H e was the re tired General M anage r of Best Foods, having spent m ost of his long career with them overseas . His w ife M argaret Jean Wort, an H o norary Trustee of N MHS, and his rwo daughters Ch ristina Sweeney and Elizabeth Clyde and their famili es, survive him . The Society remembers John as a dedicated and persuasive advocate fo r historic m aritime and land preservation in the Hudson Highlands area of New York State. John was chairman of Hudson Highlands Cruises &Tours from 1982 to 1998. The Society has often beneficed fro m his to urs aboard the histori c 19 17 M /V Commander. During that same period, he also served as treasurer for the New York State Tour Boat Association. H e was a long-time director of Scenic Hudson, serving as treasurer, and after an auto accident in 2003 that left him paralyzed, he was m ade an honorary director. John Wort served as chairman of the Constitution Island Association for fifteen years and then becam e chairman em eritus. H e was a founding member, director, and treasurer of the Town of Highlands Historical Society and the Fort M ontgom ery Barde Site Association and was a member of the Plan Team of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission for the restoratio n of Fort M ontgom ery. A week before John's 2003 accident, he had NMH S members of all ages clamberin g aro und Fort M ontgom ery, teaching them abo ut New York's history. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he earned an MBA fro m H arvard, and was a reti red US N avy Lieutenant, serving in the Ko rean War and rem aining in the reserves fo r fo urreen years.

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SEA HISTORY 11 6, AUTUMN 2006