John Sergeant died on June 20, 2020 at the age of 79, peacefully on his boat Angelica, the place he loved most.
He was predeceased by his mother, Rosemary Sergeant (Huber) and his father, Marin Sergeant, a WWII Navy veteran, both of South Bend Indiana. He was survived by his lovely and vivacious wife, Janet of 57 years; his son, Barry with wife, Linda; his daughter, Wendy Sergeant with husband, JR; his daughter, Holly with husband Greg; and brother, Mike with his large family. Also, he is survived by his beloved grandchildren, who were the light of his life: Megan, Ronin, Arman Julia, Isabella, Lucy, and Audrey.
John was born on May 4, 1941 in South Bend, Indiana. He attended Saint Joseph’s High School, received a BSME from Purdue, and an MBA from Northwestern University. He married his lifelong partner in 1963 in college and joined the DuPont Company in 1964 where he worked for their Engineering Department and was involved with the design and construction of chemical plants. He and Jan, with their kids and pets, were transferred seven times and lived in many places from Delaware to Texas. He was an executive who worked for DuPont for 40 years having had responsibility for over a billion dollars’ worth of new investment across the US, Europe and Japan.
John had a lifelong passion for anything involving the water. He scuba dived around the world, kayaked often in the Chesapeake, and water skied until the age of 78. He and Jan spent thousands of hours on their boats on the Northeast River and the Chesapeake Bay.
John served as Chaplain for the Northeast Yacht Club for decades and then unofficially continued to write and recite reflections until the time of his death. He had a gift for capturing the beauty of intimate moments and loving events. He shared his reflections with thousands of people over the years.
John and Jan had a lifetime of wondrous experiences and great adventures. They traveled to many places including Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and the Far East.
John and Jan had many pets over the years. Neighbors and friends would often see them on their nightly walks. He loved his newest puppy, Charlie until the end.
He will be missed, especially by his poker club to whom he learned and lost from for over 40 years. They will mostly miss his bi-weekly donation.
John will be cremated and his ashes will be spread over the water that he loved.
A celebration of life service will be planned for a later date. An announcement will be forthcoming.
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