John L. Way, 75, of Westport Island, passed away on Aug. 25 at his home. He was born in Quincy, Mass. in 1936, the son of David G. and Ethel L. (Wills) Way, and attended Quincy and Acton high schools. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y., in 1958.
He met his future wife and lifetime companion, Carol J. Alger, while in college and they were married in Albany, N.Y. in 1957. Children Richard and Nancy were born in successive years thereafter. John served for three years in the Navy and then returned to RPI and obtained a Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering in 1966.
Following a four-year postdoctoral fellowship at the UCSD, he became a professor at Illinois Institute of Technology in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department in 1970 and worked there until his retirement in 2001. John participated in a major research program in which he helped to build and program a wind tunnel in order to study lift and drag on simulated airplane wings to improve air safety. His true passion, though, was teaching aerospace and mechanical engineering to the Institute’s college students.
John and Carol retired to Westport Island in 2001. John’s ten and a half year retirement was too short, but was very well spent. He was never happier than when he was volunteering in the Curatorial Department and Library Archives of the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. Studying, sorting and filing ship’s plans was pure joy, as was serving on the volunteer council and getting to know the volunteers and staff at the museum.
Socializing with friends and family was another favorite pastime.
True to his interests in aeronautical engineering, John was delighted when the Texas Flying Legends Warbirds began flying summers out of Wiscasset, only a few miles from his Westport home.
While recovering from a successful cardiac procedure, John received the devastating news that he had stage four pancreatic cancer. John’s final months were spent at home in the care of family, friends and the wonderful nurses and aides from the CHANS hospice organization. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his immediate family and his primary CHANS nurse.
He was predeceased by nephew, Scott Yates.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Carol; son, Rick and wife Vicki (Eshenbaugh) and grandchildren Bryan and Jessie Way, all of Maryland; daughter, Nancy Way Kleckner and husband Bob Kleckner of Lewiston; sister, Jane Yates and husband Bob of Florida; and niece, Laura Bernard and husband Glenn of New Boston, N.H.
Memorial service 1-4 p.m., Sun., Sept. 9 at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington St., Bath, ME 04530, or to CHANS Home Health Care, 60 Baribeau Dr., Brunswick, ME, 04011.
