John Walter Stuntz's Obituary
On Father's Day afternoon, John Stuntz, 96, lay down for a nap and closed a life filled with achievement and love.
John grew up on Depression-era dairy farms in La Plata and Washington, and did his wartime service aboard the submarine the USS Plaice in the Pacific. He returned to get degrees and academic honors in electrical engineering and meet his wife, Sandy, at the University of Maryland. The degrees led to a career and worldwide travel with Westinghouse; ultimately as corporate vice president he headed the aerospace division and its thousands of employees at Friendship, Md. He transitioned into early retirement with a bang: With no blue-water experience and two sons as crew he sailed from Annapolis to Tahiti and Hawaii. Afterward he cruised to the Caribbean, and then back for another 20 years on the Chesapeake, occasionally soloing until age 81.
John's 63-year marriage brought the more important achievements: five children, 12 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren joining the smiling faces on the walls in his Hillsmere Shores home. He designed that house in 1961 and lived in it, still walking, talking, and talking, with unimpaired acuity right to the end.
John and his wife Sandy joined Eastport Methodist Church 58 years ago, where he held multiple leadership roles and treasured his decades singing in the choir. He continued as part of what he considered his second family after Sandy’s death in 2011.
John is survived by his daughter, Linda Adamson of Eastport, and sons Michael, Richard and David, living in Fort Myers, FL, Annapolis and Durham, N.C. He was predeceased by his wife, son William, and grandson James.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 22, at 1:00 PM at Eastport United Methodist Church, 926 Bay Ridge Ave., Annapolis, MD, with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the church’s Memorial Fund. Interment will be private.
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