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Frederick Kingsbury Obituary
He was born on May 20, 1927, in Fredericksburg, Va., the son of the late Frederick John Kingsbury Jr. and Julia (McKinney) Kingsbury.
He is survived by his adoring children, daughter, Libby Kingsbury, son, John Kingsbury and his daughter-in-law, Kitty Kingsbury, of Guilford, as well as his two beloved granddaughters, Holly and Lydia Kingsbury of Denver, Colo. He leaves a brother, Lawrence Kingsbury of Chatham, Mass., a dear sister-in-law, Kasha Kingsbury of Guilford and their daughters, Jennifer Bogosian and Suzanne Kingsbury. He also leaves a cherished nephew and niece, Thomas Crocker and Kim McVay.
He was predeceased by two sisters, Julie Crocker of Guilford and Patricia Whiffen of Clinton.
He grew up in Hamden and spent his summers in Sachem's Head with his family until making it his home in 1952. He graduated from Exeter Academy and went on to Yale University, ultimately graduating with a doctorate in electrical engineering. During his time at Yale, he rowed for the 1948 U.S. Olympic Team in London, England, as part of a four-man crew and brought home a bronze medal. He accepted a position at the Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory, which later became the Naval Underwater Systems Center, in New London after graduation and remained there, happy in his work, until his retirement at age 65, as the department head of sonar technology.
He served tirelessly on both the Planning and Zoning Commission of Guilford and the Planning and Zoning Committee of the Sachem's Head Association. He was an expert sailor and loved being on the water with family and friends. John and Betty, married almost 60 years, loved being with their family, and vacationing in Maine and Florida. He was loved and respected for his sense of humor, gentle manner, and integrity. His family gives special thanks to his and Betty's devoted caregivers, Frances, Carmen, Alfhild, Pat, Chris, Nancy, Shirley, and Terri.
Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St., Guilford. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, at First Congregational Church, 122 Broad St., Guilford.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory may be made to the Guilford Land Conservation Trust, PO Box 200, Guilford CT 06437.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Frederick Kingsbury
Gerald Leo Assard
October 5, 2012
I am sorry to hear of John's passing.
Enjoyed working for him under Howard
Newman. This was one of my most enjoyable jobs. I see him now.
December 3, 2011
I was very sorry to learn of John's passing.He will be missed in his professional world,by his friends and especially by his family.I worked with John over many years and as part of Center management,I interfaced with him quite frequently.He was always very special and a pleasure to work with.He was, without a doubt, a world leader in the field of underwater acoustics, particularly as it applied to submarine systems.He was a kind and considerate manager and also a strong leader needed to meet the Navy's goals.
To summarize his life as I knew him,he was always a gentleman and a "gentle man".
Bob Moore- Associate Director NUSC/NUWC
December 1, 2011
To the Kingsbury Family
My deepest condolences on your loss. John will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
John was my choice to be the head of the Submarine Sonar Department in the early eighties. He assumed the helm in the face of the many challenges for U S Submarines, in that time frame. The Soviet submarines were getting dramatically quieter. Our sonar performance needed to get a lot better. He took to the task very quickly. His technical skills, people skills, work ethic, and leadership helped him gain the respect both within NUSC and the Submarine Navy. He became an important factor in the sonar advancements that were produced. In addition, it seemed to those that knew him that he came to love and enjoy the position, the people, and all that it entailed. His towed array facility on Crystal Avenue, in New London, was a constant source of pride for John and all of us. It was always included in the itinerary of our visiting VIPs, and he and his people enjoyed showing and talking about what they were doing. The results of this work laid the foundation for the TB12x Thin Line Towed Array which has become our primary passive submarine sensor for U S Submarines. Its prototype was actually developed and fabricated at the Crystal Avenue site. A similar story can be told for Hull Transducers and Arrays.
Under John's leadership, and tireless efforts, the technology to increase U S Submarine Acoustic advantage over the Soviets was developed and delivered by his department.
While it was a team effort with many contributors, you can be very proud, as I am, of John's accomplishments and contributions that led to a dramatic increase in U S Submarine Sonar Acoustic Advantage over Soviet Submarines, as well as all other adversaries.
Earle Messere, Retired NUSC/NUWC Technical Director, Marco Island, Florida.
Linda Von Winkle-Tomaszek
October 18, 2011
To the Kingsbury Family
My deepest condolences to you all.
May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life very well lived. Dr. Kingsbury was a true gentlemen, wonderful boss and dear friend of my family and will be missed. I am glad I was able to see him at our annual "Sound Lab Reunion" in September. Dr. Kingsbury will be missed.
Jerry Lamb
October 15, 2011
To the Family
I worked with and for John during my many years at the Sound Lab. He was always a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He was great to work with and talk to about sailing and his other pursuits.
October 15, 2011
Sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Kingsbury. I worked for him for a few years. I am sorry I missed him at this years reunion.
Gerry Assard, Bethlehem, Ct
Mike Schindler
October 15, 2011
Our sincere condolences to the Kingsbury family. We were fortunate to sit at the same table at the Sound Lab reunion with John. He was a great boss and friend and we enjoyed sitting with him and Libby.
Leonard Cohen
October 14, 2011
Dear Libby and Family,
I was so glad to see both you and your Dad at the Sound Lab reunion last month. I hope he had good time. I know many of us were glad to see him. (And to think he was afraid he would not know anyone.)
October 13, 2011
To the Family - I worked for Norm Owsley and knew John... He was good to me and I will miss him too. My condolences.
Erick Walters (Quaker Hill CT)
LEN CORMIER
October 12, 2011
My only regret is missing a chance to see John at the last USL reunion, in Sept-2011. My office was across from the boss and he always said he wanted it that so he could get the real pulse of his department. We always had a few laughs together; John’s smile and his long gait could be seen from one end B-80 to the other end. This is Defiantly an era passing!
Len Cormier
Dede Fisher
October 12, 2011
One of the most beautiful people I have ever known. Huge loss for the family - my sincere heartfelt sympathy.
Rob Lee
October 11, 2011
Mr Kingsbury always seemed to have a smile when I was a kid...
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