John Francis Dealy's Obituary
Born in 1939, JOHN FRANCIS DEALY was blessed with a brilliant mind and a caring heart. Every aspect of his life reflected these two qualities. Early on he responded to the needs of his large Brooklyn, NY family, especially his three younger brothers whom he tutored so well that each was able to win scholarships to colleges and graduate schools, as did he. John also mentored them as altar boys and in many sports, which he dearly loved and played throughout his life.
On a full General Motors National Scholarship, he was able to go to the college of his choice; again with the needs of his family in mind, he chose nearby Fordham. A side benefit of the scholarship was working two summers at AC Spark Plug in Milwaukee as an engineering trainee on the Titan Missile guidance system; it gave him a practical foundation for much of his life’s work in aerospace and satellite communications. He went on to New York University School of Law on a Root-Tilden scholarship, was elected Notes Editor on the Law Review, and graduated at the top of his class.
He served his military commitment from 1964-68 as an Attorney-Advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon. While there he met Nana Louise May from Manassas, Virginia. Within a few months they were wed, finding in each other many common passions, including a love of sports, reading, traveling, entertaining, family, and perhaps most importantly, talking together on almost any topic.
At the end of his military service, he was hired by Fairchild Industries, Inc. as their General Counsel, and by 1976 he rose to be President. While at Fairchild he led their fight to procure the A-10 fighter program, and was one of the creators of American Satellite Corporation, for which he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1977 to 1982.
In 1982 he left Fairchild and joined the MBA program of Georgetown University as “Distinguished Professor” -- and for several years he was voted best professor by the students. In the early ‘80s he also started a consulting company that offered strategic advice to organizations in the aerospace, satellite and communications industries, and he became “Of Counsel” to the D.C. law firm of Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge.
From 1995 to 2005, he served as Chairman of the Maryland Health Care Product Development Corporation, was a director of Heath Care Financial Partners, Inc., on the board of Allfirst Financial Inc., a Director of the Atlantic Council, and an arbitrator in several complex business disputes.
His final great adventure in business was with XM Satellite Radio where he served as Senior Advisor to the CEO; he and his Dealy Strategy Group became ‘embedded’ at XM in order to advise in every aspect of XM’s development, from its beginning in 1997 through its merger with Sirius Satellite Radio in 2008.
In addition to this exceedingly full professional life, John was a wonderful father to daughters, Anne and Marian, unfailingly available and concerned. With them, he and Nana enjoyed hockey, tennis, traveling, and family gatherings well into their 70s. Family and friends were also recipients of John’s counsel and support on emotional, financial, and career deliberations.
In 2015 when acute myeloid leukemia (AML) struck, John became dependent on blood transfusions administered at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. To support him and his family, many friends offered to drive him on these twice weekly journeys for blood. Over ten months as this regimen continued, there were eventually 27 wonderful people who spent whole days with him, many several times, during which they discussed business plans, personal ambitions, family matters, etc. John’s body was weak but his mind was clear as a bell, and happy as always to focus on problems outside of himself; he was able to give sage advice, thus using his intelligence and caring heart to the day he died.
For those attending the Memorial Service on Monday, March 6 at the Francis Scott Key Lobby of Mellon Hall on the campus of St. John's College in Annapolis, handicapped parking will be available in the lot next to Mellon Hall, off St. John's Street. There will be some spaces available in the other campus lots off St. John's and King George Streets, as well as in nearby Gott's Garage on Calvert Street.
What’s your fondest memory of John?
What’s a lesson you learned from John?
Share a story where John's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with John you’ll never forget.
How did John make you smile?