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In Memoriam |
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In Memoriam
From:
Enoch Lipson I heard from a Port Authority colleague that John Wilson had passed away within the last few months. When I started at the Port in the late 60’s I was assigned to his group on the second floor of the building at the corner of 14th Street and 8th Avenue. It was a wonderful office to work in, largely because of the tone set by John. He was smart, even tempered and had a great sense of humor; he saw that we got high quality work out at a low cost. That office made a real contribution to the wealth of the region and we did it without yelling and screaming or heavy drama.
I hadn’t seen him
since a “Lusitania “ luncheon a number of years
ago. When John became to ill to attend, it took the
spirit out of the group. Please let his family
know that all the men and women who worked with him,
held him in great respect and remember him fondly. Lt. Colonel John S. Wilson
John began working as a Structural Designer in NYC and in 1949 accepted a position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey where he worked until he retired in 1985. During his 36 year career he was responsible for the direction of a multi-disciplined staff of Engineers and Architects. His career accomplishments included the redevelopment of a two-mile section of the Brooklyn waterfront, the expansion and modernization of the Port Newark Terminal, the creation of the Elizabeth Marine Terminal and the modernization of the Manhattan piers. He was also involved in improvements of the South Street Seaport Museum and Liberty State Park. He was the recipient of the Port Authority Distinguished Service Medal in 1978.
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John
S. Wilson was born in New York City and grew up in
Silver Beach Gardens in the Bronx. He was a graduate of
James Monroe HS and received his Bachelors of Civil
Engineering from NYU. John enlisted in the
US Army Corps of Engineers where he served with Engineer
units on the 9th, 1st and 3rd Armies in the Ardennes,
Rhineland and Central European Campaigns. In 1946 he was
assigned to the Engineer Training Center, European
Theater, where he was an instructor. After
accepting reserve commission John joined Engineer units
of the Active Reserve, conducting training sessions in
the layout and design of military airfields, bridges and
marine facilities. He received promotions to the
grade of Lieutenant Colonel and transferred to the
Retired Reserve in 1972.