John A. Aldrich

John Alfred Aldrich, age 87, of Easton, long-time resident of Deep Harbour Farm Community on Dun Cove in Sherwood, MD. Born in Baltimore, MD in 1922, John was devoted to his family, an avid sailor, and an electronics engineer who held several corporate patents. As a cadet in the U.S. Coast Guard, he trained on the Danish tall ship, the Danmark. He won the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s Nickerson Trophy – NEISA Fall Freshman Champs in 1943. He served in the Merchant Marine as third mate on a Liberty Ship during WWII. He worked for Martin Baltimore, Martin Orlando, Chesapeake Instrument Corp., and Gould Electronics, all of which eventually became part of Lockheed-Martin. He also worked for AAI Corporation in Cockeysville, MD. He retired from Gould Electronics as a Principal Engineer in 1986. He was a member of the Spry Island Cruising Club in Baltimore for many years. Over the years he owned many boats, including a 28 1/2 –foot Rhodes Ranger sloop named Caprice, a MacGregor 26X, a Lightning class sailboat, and a Beetle Cat. He also built several model sailing boats. He had several articles on his sailing experiences published, including an Eastern Bay storm story published in the SpinSheet. He retired in 1986 to the Eastern Shore, where as a boy he had learned to sail and enjoyed many happy times. He loved all the beauty and quiet of the Eastern Shore and its many bays, rivers and creeks. His parents owned Chance farm, now called San Souci, in McDaniel. His wife’s family (the Kemps) owned Wades Point Farm, also in McDaniel. John said his only regret was that he always wanted to be a native of the Eastern Shore but, alas, he was born in Baltimore. John is survived by his wife Lee (nee Brittingham) Aldrich; two daughters, Nancy and her husband, Lynn Garner of Silver Spring, MD, and Joan and her husband, Frank Luongo of Portland, ME; and one grandson, David Luongo. Burial will be private. Donations in memory of John Aldrich may be given to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Navy Point, Box 636, St. Michaels, MD 21663, 410-745-2916, ext. 4955, www.cbmm.org. Arrangements by Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A. in Easton.

John A. Aldrich

September 26, 1922 - September 11, 2010