Henry P. Ames Jr.

1929 - 2021

Henry P. Ames, Jr
Henry P. Ames, Jr (Lt. Col USAF, Retired), of Westport, Connecticut, departed this world on May 23, 2021, having lived a rich and adventurous life spanning 92 years. He was born on March 9, 1929 to Henry P. Ames, Sr and Clara Moore Ames. "Pete," as his friends and family called him, grew up in Arlington, Virginia, in a family with strong military connections, so it came as no surprise when he opted to attend Randolph - Macon Academy followed by the Virginia Military Institute, graduating in 1952 with a B.S. degree in Engineering, after which he joined the United States Air Force. While serving, he earned an M.S. in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. During his 22 years in the Air Force, Pete was stationed in many places around the U.S. and world, including Turkey, Japan, Germany and Vietnam, where he was awarded a Bronze Star. He loved exploring new places and usually fell in love with the local people, culture, languages and cuisines. His happy place was sailing through bright blue waters or soaring across open sky. Following retirement from the military, he pursued his passion for the water and deep sea diving, starting an underwater engineering consultancy where he applied his excellent technical engineering and diving skills to exciting projects around the world. He closed out his career with FEMA, working on disasters across the U.S. and its territories, including the Loma Prieta, Northridge, Nisqually and Guam Earthquakes as well as the World Trade Center Recovery. His FEMA colleagues appreciated his engineering skills, commitment to serve and fun-loving spirit. Pete's adventures continued after retirement. He moved three times, sailed the trans-Pacific route twice, joined the Sudbury Fife and Drum Corps, perfected his ham radio and Morse Code skills and supported his children and grandchildren through innumerable birthdays, dance recitals, music performances, sporting events, graduations, weddings and more. One could always find him walking with his wife, Hilli, and his beloved dog, Coco. Pete is survived by his wife, Hildegard Ames; children, Henry P. Ames III (Liza), John Watt (Jessica) and Diana Scott; grandchildren Brittany Ames Apple (Joe), Oliver Kent Ames, Kirsten Scott (Nik), Bailey Scott (James), Hailey Watt (Zach); and many great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews who loved him. Funeral and interment will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.